


'Swordsman' is a Gender Neutral Term

by BlatantBookworm



Category: One Piece
Genre: Adventure, Complete, Crossdressing, Family, Friendship, Gen, Genderbend, Humour, Nakama, Rule 63, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-04
Updated: 2015-05-15
Packaged: 2018-03-16 07:12:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 121,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3479081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlatantBookworm/pseuds/BlatantBookworm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Genderbend Straw Hats AU. Set pre-series to after Skypeia. Roronoa Sora was always told that girls couldn’t be swordsmen, and certainly not the world’s greatest. In the end, it was easier to pretend to be a boy than deal with it. That was long before a girl with a straw-hat and a bright smile asked ‘Zoro’ to join her crew.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. "It's a Promise!"

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: One Piece, every character and the majority of the plot points are not mine. I am making no profit from this. It’s just for fun.
> 
> Wow. I’ve been writing this one for months. It’s long, and it’s done, so expect fairly regular updates.  
> So, a couple of notes. Firstly, a lot of it is going to be rewritten canon scenes, adjusted for the genderbend and their subsequent changes. There are quite a few scenes with no basis in canon, but the general plot stays the same (eg, they go to the Grand Line, they go to Alabasta, etc). Zoro/Sora is the protagonist for the first few chapters, but it also starts to spread out to the rest of the crew  
> Secondly, and more importantly – the nature of my adjustments to the plot makes gender a serious issue in it. I’ve tried to avoid any transphobia, but I may well have made mistakes. Please let me know if I offend you and I’ll do my best to fix it. On a similar note, sexism plays a huge role in the plot, as a character trait for several (minor but significant) characters. Tread with caution if this might be an issue for you.  
> Other warnings are mainly what’s canon in One Piece – violence, blood, etc. Couple of swears.

The two girls might have been too young to be using real swords, but both were confident enough that they felt no need to hold back. Either could take any blow the other dealt out.

The younger girl gritted her teeth. She was holding two swords in her hands as she spun around, before the opposing blade hit them both at the same time.

Sora’s swords spun into the air as the green-haired girl fell backwards. Kuina’s sword pierced the ground beside her head.

 “That makes two thousand and one times I’ve beaten you!” Kuina crowed.

Sora’s two swords clattered into the ground behind her.

“Damnit!” Sora shrieked, covering her face with her hands. “Why can’t I _beat you?_ ”

Fifteen minutes later, the two girls were sitting by the dojo, leaning on the steps.

“I think it’s because we’re both girls,” Kuina said quietly.

“Huh?” Sora blinked at her. She’d almost forgotten what she’d asked.

“If you were a boy, you’d be able to beat me,” Kuina said, a slight smile on her face. “Pretty soon, I won’t be able to beat _any_ of the boys in our class.”

Sora looked at her, not understanding.

“Sora, you’re always saying that you’re going to become the world’s greatest swordsman,” Kuina murmured quietly. “Dad says you won’t be able to. Girls can’t be master swordsmen.”

Kuina’s eyes began to water as she tried to smile weakly at Sora. “I wish we could do it. I wanna become the world’s greatest swordsman too!”

She rubbed her chest forlornly, tears dropping down her face. “But my chest is starting to develop… I wish I was a boy…”

“Stop _crying_!” Sora snapped angrily. “You beat me!”

“But… Sora…” Kuina whispered, looking up at her.

“Someday I’m going to beat you! And I’m going to beat every boy that I fight, too!” Sora shrieked, gripping her swords tightly. “It’s got nothing to do with being a boy or a girl! I’m going to train and I’m going to do it!”

Kuina could only stare at her as Sora stepped next to her, swords in hand.

“Let’s make a promise to each other! Someday, one of us will become the greatest swordsman ever! We’ll fight each other for the title!”

Kuina laughed weakly, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. “You idiot! You’re too puny!”

Tears were still streaming down her face but she was smiling widely at her as Kuina took Sora’s hand.

“It’s a promise!”

**_ X _ **

“Sora! There’s been an accident! It’s Kuina!”

Sora had rushed to the scene as fast as she could. Then she could only stand dead still as someone explained what had happened, her eyes locked on the figure wrapped under the linen.

“She fell down the stairs… she’s dead!”

One of the boys in her class put a hand on her shoulder. He was expecting her to get hysterical as girls were supposed to do.

Instead, she got angry.

“Kuina! You made a _promise_ yesterday!” Sora shrieked. Suddenly the hand on her shoulder was restraining her from jumping forwards. “You can’t run away from your promise!”

“Sora! Stop it!”

“Humans are fragile things, Sora…” someone said quietly as Sora stared at the black-haired body.

Sora felt her fists bunch up as cold determination ran through her throat. Her eyes were beginning to sting, but she held them back.

The green-haired girl pushed the hand off her arm and walked purposely up to her teacher, bowing.  “Sensei! May I have her sword?”

Kuina’s father considered the girl for a moment, giving a final glance at his daughter’s form. “…I suppose so…”

Sora grabbed the sword in question, wrapping her young hands around it. “I’ll have to keep that promise for both of us.”

The young girl took a deep breath, looking to the sky as she clutched the sword tightly. “I’m going to become such a great swordsman that they’ll known about me in Heaven!”

**_ X _ **

Six years later, the fifteen year old girl brushed green hair out of her face, tugging on the side of the rope. Her small boat leant to the side as the wind filled its sail.

She glanced at the wanted poster clutched in her hand, peering at the ship she was nearing. It matched the description, at least.

Sora rubbed her sword handles, not pulling them from their sheaths. She was itching for a battle. Besides which, the bounty was nice and she needed money.

Her boat slowed to a stop next to the ship. Sora knotted her boat to the ship, then gripped the side of it.

The ship’s keel was slippery as she scaled it, fingers scrambling for purchase. But it still only took a few minutes for her to clamber onto the deck.

Several pirates glanced around as she unsheathed her swords, slipping the one that had once been Kuina’s between her teeth.

“Who are you?” the navigator shouted, pointing his gun at her nervously.

“I’m looking for Captain Crissandler,” Sora said around her sword, her voice quiet and dangerous.

“That would be me,” a booming voice announced.

Sora spun around to face him. He was a big man, overweight and with a long, filthy beard reaching to his naval.

Sora smiled wickedly. “Perfect.”

Faster than any of the pirates could react, Sora raced forwards. All three swords pulled back together, to come to a point.

The only reason Crissandler managed to block the swords was because she let him. Even if she was holding back, a longer fight was preferable to a three second one.

Much preferable.

With an easy strike, Sora pushed Crissandler’s sword off hers. She skidded forwards, the blade in her right hand sweeping out. It slashed into the pirate’s knee, causing a deep wound that would slow him down but not stop him.

As Crissandler roared in pain, Sora allowed herself a brief moment of satisfaction.

A sudden pain from the back of her head cut the moment short.

Sora let out an involuntary gasp. The sword slid from her mouth, which she easily caught before it landed on the ground.

The green-haired bounty hunter spun around, stopping with the sword pointed straight at the first mate’s throat. He had slammed his drinking mug into the back of her head, nevermind he had a sword and a gun tucked into his belt.

“You should stay out of fights you’re not involved in,” Sora growled, warningly pressing the sword in a little deeper.

She was expecting either defiance, maybe a pledge of loyalty to the captain, or terror from the blade. What she wasn’t expecting were the eyes that widened slightly at the sound of her unmuffled voice – and then darted to her chest for a second before snapping up to her face again.

“You’re a _girl_?”

Sora snarled. “What’s it to you?”

On the other side, Crissandler laughed. “My, my, my. Shouldn’t a nice young lady like you be at home cooking for your husband instead of playing with such sharp thing like these?”

In an instant other hand had a sword pointed at him, too.

She didn’t move her eyes for a second, but spoke cleanly to the man sneaking behind her. “I have three swords. If you come another step, I will shove my final one through your throat.”

The man froze in place. Unfortunately, Crissandler did not. He slowly slid his sword down Sora’s, moving it away from his neck.

“Since I’m such an honourable gentleman,” the pirate said, leering at her, “I’ll give you one chance to turn around. A girl like you shouldn’t be involved in such things like this.”

Sora’s glower notched up as she slid her final sword back into her mouth.

Okay. Forget holding back.

**_ X _ **

Even the _marines_ had laughed at her.

Sora kicked the side of the road, her face still flaming with rage and humiliation. When she had handed the beaten and bloodied, but still living, pirates into the marines, they’d laughed.

“ _Aaw. You dropping these in for your brother?_ ”

“ _Looks like your boyfriend hit them pretty good._ ”

“ _Sorry miss, but I can’t give the money to you. How about you bring in the man who did this and then you can split it among the two of you?_ ”

She would have thought the greatest test of her control would be learning a new sword technique, not holding back on attacking marines. As it was, she’d had to wait hours before the disbelieving marines eventually handed over the bounty just to get her out of there.

Muttering under her breath, Sora walked into the tavern, sitting herself down in the corner.

In a moment a waitress was standing next to her. “Heya. What would you like?”

“Get me the strongest drink you have,” Sora muttered.

The waitress hesitated. “You sure? It’s a little strong for girls-”

She almost wilted under the deadly glare that Sora gave her. “Right away, miss.”

The waitress raced off, Sora glaring after her. Even other girls didn’t think she was capable of the same stuff as men.

Okay, her drinking limit was still pretty low. But that was because she was fifteen, not because she was female.

Still muttering cuss words under her breath, Sora dug into her satchel, pulling out the bounty.

She started sliding the berries onto the table, counting her money without bothering to hide it. Every few seconds she’d glance around, daring someone to try and rob her.

Sora paused for a moment, and then carefully recounted. And then a third.

The marines short changed her. She barely had half the bounty she should have.

Sora swore violently, shoving the cash back into her satchel. She jumped to her feet just as the waitress returned, shaking, mug of grog in hand.

“Thanks,” Sora snatched it from the waitress’s hand, taking a deep gulp.

Her throat burned but she didn’t flinch. Sora drained the whole thing in one, slamming it down onto the table. “Here.” She rummaged in her satchel, pulling out a few berries and dropping it carelessly onto the table. She knew there was a generous tip in that, but she was in too much of a rage to bother counting it out.

Leaving the waitress to tidy up, Sora stormed out of the tavern, intending on _demanding_ that the marines paid her her due. If they still didn’t believe she was capable of taking out pirates, then let them fight her.

She was halfway down the street before she glanced anywhere but the marine headquarters up ahead. Her gaze fell on a clothing store up ahead.

Sora felt herself stop dead. Her eyes were locked on the mannequin standing outside, modelling a flimsy summer dress.

All of a sudden, all her rage drained out of her and she was hit with an unprecedented resignation. No-one was ever going to take her seriously.

For the past six years – for the past fifteen years – she’d been ignoring everyone claiming she couldn’t do it. She’d ignored the questions of why such a pretty young girl wanted to do such a boyish task of sword-fighting, ignoring the laughter when she walked into a ring, ignoring every assumption that she couldn’t do it.

She hadn’t even realised every comment had been building up inside her until she saw that dress billowing in the wind.

Her feet started moving of their own accord, bringing her towards the dress. Before Sora knew it, she had passed the mannequin, and was standing inside the store.

Sora took a step forwards, trying to ignore the uncomfortable pricking behind her eyes. She rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, trying to ignore the fact that it came out a little wetter.

Without really looking, she grabbed a dress off the messy pile. Lifting it up, she studied it.

She had absolutely no desire to wear it. But maybe if everyone in the world seemed to expect her to, she could…

Sora’s train of thought skidded to a halt as she realised she wasn’t entirely sure where it was leading.

She _was_ going to be the world’s greatest swordsman. Whether or not anyone thought she could do it was irrelevant.

Angrily, she brushed the remainder of the water out of her eyes.

That’s when her eyes fell on the mannequin at the back of the store. It was draped in a match to the dress outside. A male version.

Sora felt as if her blood caught fire. She took a deep breath, energised and strong. Her tears began to dry as she walked forwards, examining the mannequin, looking over the haramaki, the long black pants, the shirt that was the same colour as the top of the dress but _oh_ so different.

A few minutes later, Sora handed the pile of clothes in to the sales assistant, ready for her tight wallet to shrink even further. Thankfully, he barely raised an eyebrow at the male clothing, merely asking if there was anything else.

“Yeah. Have you got any bandages?”

“Of course. Right this way…”

A few minutes later, Sora was standing on the deserted river banks, observing her reflection carefully. She pulled her shirt off and picked up the bandages.

The bandages felt uncomfortable, but her already small breast was pulled nearly flat.

Sora picked up one of her swords. If she had a choice, she wouldn’t use it for this, but even without the awkward questions she didn’t have enough money left for a barber.

Green strands fell around her as the sword easily shredded her hair.

Sora inspected herself as well as she could in the relatively still river, judging her new hairstyle. It was messy, almost a buzz cut, but it definitely reduced some of her femininity.

When she pulled on her new clothes, the image was complete. Her clothes had never been especially girlish, but now she looked like a boy, the new style going some way to hiding her figure.

Sora could recognise herself as female, but only just. A stranger might notice her to be feminine, but not that she was a girl, especially with the addition of her swords.

Satisfied with her new look, Sora drew back, her eyes drawn back to the marine headquarters.

If they wouldn’t give her the bounty like this, then she would take it anyway.

As it turned out, though, getting her money became a whole lot easier disguised as guy.

Sora leant on the side of the table, smirking at the marine on the other side. “You know, when my sister came in here for her money, I think you short-changed her,” she said, trying to make her voice deeper.

The marine’s eyes widened with recognition. “Ah, yes, but of course, we couldn’t give her the total sum when _you_ were the one who defeated the pirates.”

Sora bunched a fist. “Well, it _was_ me who fought them,” she said through gritted teeth. “Are you going to pay me or not?”

“I suppose you did earn it. Next time, though, don’t send your sister in though,” the marine said lightly, opening the safe behind the painting. He twirled in the combination. “You know she was trying to take your credit? Kept claiming she did it.”

Sora tried to laugh. It sounded grating even to her. “Women,” she said disparagingly. “Always… always claiming that they… did stuff…”

It felt like bile was going to rise up in her throat.

_No. If I have to be a guy, I will not be **this** type of guy._

“She did help, though,” Sora amended her statement as the marine handed her the rest of the bounty.

“I’m not denying she probably made an excellent navigator or something, but it’s not like she was actually in the fight or anything.” The marine waved it aside.

Sora said nothing, tucking her berries away and trying not to let her skin burn red.

“So, what was your name, son?”

“Sora,” she said instinctively.

“Wait… wasn’t that the name your sister gave?” the marine asked, confused by the admittedly unisex name shared by apparent twins.

Sora froze, the cash securely in her bag. “Wasn’t… wasn’t that what you asked? What my sister’s name was?” she asked, her mouth dry.

“No. I asked for yours.”

“Oh. Mine’s…” Sora hesitated for a split second, her mind frantically searching. “Sor…o. Zoro. Roronoa Zoro.”

“Well, it was a pleasure doing business with you, Roronoa Zoro,” the marine said with a smile as Sora walked out the door.

Sora’s speed picked up as she walked through the headquarters. Occasionally a couple of marines would glance at her, the word ‘bounty-hunter’ travelling after her.

Funny. When she was in here only a few hours ago every comment had been about how a girl such as her shouldn’t be carrying such dangerous weapons as swords.

Sora found her teeth grinding as she realised just how much more accommodating marines were to young men instead of young women.

**__ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're binding, please, please, please don't follow Sora's example in using bandages. She doesn't know any better at the moment, and will be wearing a real binder by next chapter. Bandages are hugely damaging and can break ribs at best.


	2. "He won't kill us. He can't. I won't let him!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for Luffi...

**Chapter Two: “He won’t kill us. He can’t. I won’t let him!”**

Four years later, Sora changed her mind. Marines were bastards whatever your sex was. Or at least the literal bastard Helmeppo was, although he might not technically count as a marine.

Currently, the nineteen year old girl was tied to a wooden stake. Her arms were aching from holding them out for days on end, and the blood flow to her hands had slowed.

She was still dressed as a boy. In the intervening years she’d gotten a better haircut, one that actually made it appear as if she had sideburns, but she still looked like a boy. The biggest difference was the new method of binding her breasts, wearing a sort of shirt that was actually designed for this purpose.

Of course, no matter what method, binding down the chest for days at a time restricted her breathing. Sora hadn’t exactly had a chance to loosen it.

Her chest was only marginally more comfortable than her growling stomach, which felt like it was clinging to her spine in a protest against the lack of food. The worst part, though, was definitely her parched throat.

 “There he is!” a girl’s voice cried, delighted.

Sora’s head snapped up. For barely a second she saw two faces peering over the side of the wall, before the smaller one collapsed backwards. The other turned to see them, showing Sora only a glimpse of black hair and a yellow straw hat.

“What’s wrong?” the straw-hatted person asked.

“A… a b-black bandanna and a haramaki sash!” the fallen gawker squeaked. “I-it’s him. That’s Roronoa Zoro!”

Straw Hat turned back to look at Sora.

Her hat was tightly pressed onto a mess of black hair, reaching down to the top of her neck. The girl was grinning, her eyes bright. “So that’s him. He doesn’t look _that_ scary. I could just untie the ropes to set him free…”

“That’s suicide!” her friend shrilled. After a second he came into Sora’s view, looking at Straw Hat in horror. “If you let him loose, he’ll kill us! And the whole town!”

Sora found her lips curling up into a smile of their own accord. “Hey, kid.”

The boy let out a squeal.

The girl, by comparison, just looked further over the wall. “Yeah?”

 “Would you mind untying me?” Sora asked, feeling her lips begin to crack and bleed as she spoke. “I’ve been up here for nine days and I can’t take it anymore.”

“He…he’s talking to us…” the boy whimpered, shaking.

“Yeah, but he’s smiling!” the girl said cheerily.

 “I’ll make it worth your while,” Sora continued, deciding to ignore the whimpering boy. “I’ll capture someone with a big price on their head and give all the bounty to you. You can trust me. I’m a man of my word.”

She didn’t believe for a second that they would go in. As much as she longed to escape, there had been a reason she hadn’t resisted as they tied her up: she wasn’t going to risk angering the entire navy. Of course, she’d never break a promise if they did let her go, but all she wanted to do was scare them away. Bad enough to be here without people _gawking_ at her.

The boy let out a whimper she could hear from her position in the middle of the courtyard. The girl only pulled herself onto the wall better, revealing a bright red shirt neatly buttoned up.

“Wait!” the boy shrieked, seeing her movement. “You’re not actually going to do it, are you?! As soon as you untie him, he’ll kill us and get away.”

The Straw Hat girl laughed, grinning at her little friend. “He won’t kill us. He can’t. I won’t let him!”

Sora felt her smile drip off. “What?” she growled, too quietly for them to hear. It was a little amusing, but also insulting.

The boy over the fence stared at Straw Hat in horror. He, at least, seemed to have some idea of what ‘Roronoa Zoro’ was capable of.

Then a new head popped up on the other side of the gate. A young girl, about seven or so, climbed up and put her finger to her lips.

 _Not her again…_ Sora felt a rising dread as she recognised the girl she had rescued.

The girl lightly jumped over the side of the fence, holding a tray in her hand. She walked slowly but purposefully towards Sora, entirely unintimidated.

“What do you want?” Sora asked, making her voice as biting as she could.

 _Go away go away go away go away go away_ -

“Luffi! Do something! She’s going to be killed!” the boy on the fence yelped, hitting the girl on the shoulder.

“Why don’t you do anything?” the Straw Hat girl asked, sounding genuinely confused.

The small girl smiled broadly up to Sora. “I made these rice balls for you!” she declared, holding the tray up for her to see. “I thought you might need some food!”

Sora forced her face into a snarl. She loved kids but the girl was only in danger the longer she stood here. “Get lost!”

“It’s the first time I’ve ever made rice balls!” the girl continued happily.

“I said _get lost!_ ” Sora shrieked. Her voice went a little higher than usual as she stopped focusing on acting like a boy. “I’m not hungry! Get away and take it with you!”

The swordsman refused to let herself melt when she saw the girl’s heartbroken face. “But…”

“I don’t want it! Get out or… or I’ll kill you!”

“Picking on little girls?” A grating voice entered the courtyard with the sound of gates creaking. “I should tell my father.”

“Who’s that?” Straw Hat girl asked her companion, watching Daddy’s-Boy Helmeppo walk into the yard.

“I suppose he’s some high ranking navy officer. Now that girl’s safe…” the boy said, sounding genuinely relieved.

Sora gave him points for caring, but his faith in the marines was almost laughable.

“What are _you_ doing here?” Sora spat at him, twisting her arm in the restraint.

“Why, I came to pay a visit to my prisoner,” Helmeppo smiled patronisingly.

He stopped next to the young girl. “Aaaw. Did you make those rice balls for me? How thoughtful!”

“No!” the girl snapped, yanking the tray away. “I made them for _him_!”

Helmeppo sighed, and slammed the palm of his hand down as hard as he could on the tray, spilling them onto the dirt.

“Hey!”

The navy lieutenant’s bastard son stamped his polished shoes onto the rice balls as hard as he could. “You shouldn’t try and associate with criminals like this!”

“That little girl worked really hard on them!” the boy said nervously, glancing at his female comrade.

“Don’t worry,” Helmeppo laughed, rubbing the heel of his shoe into it one last time. “I’m sure the ants will find them delicious!”

The girl let out a sob, tears pooling in her eyes. “But… they were my first ever rice balls, and…”

“Oh, enough of the crying,” Helmeppo rolled his eyes. “I hate kids. Besides, it’s your own fault.”

He tapped the sign shoved into the ground. “These laws say, _‘anyone aiding this prisoner shall be found guilty of the crimes he has committed._ ’ And it’s signed by Daddy. I’m sure you’ve heard how scary my father can be. If you were an adult, we’d have you put to death.”

Helmeppo jerked his thumb at his nearest marine officer. “Throw the kid over the fence.”

“Wh-what?” the marine stuttered. “But she’s-”

Helmeppo spun around to face him, glaring with all the power invested in his father. “I’m ordering you to throw that little brat over the fence! If you disobey, I’ll tell Daddy!”

“Yes sir!” the marine nodded frantically. “Right away.’

Sora felt a stab of panic as the sobbing girl was picked up by the scruff of the neck and tossed through the air, flying over the wall.

There was a beat of silence, and then-

“Gotcha!” the Straw Hat girl’s voice cried.

Sora’s panic ebbed as the little girl weakly told the frantic boy that she was okay. Her attention swung over to glaring at the marine, and more especially Helmeppo.

Helmeppo tutted, walking over to her. “You’re a stubborn one, you know. Do you _really_ think you can last an entire month?”

“You just keep your end of the bargain,” Sora snarled.

The nepotistic officer laughed as he started to walk out of the courtyard. “I wouldn’t dream of lying! Survive another three weeks and I’ll let you out.”

“Hmph,” Sora snorted, glowering until they left.

It took another few seconds before she realised that she still had company. The Straw Hat girl had scaled the fence and was standing barely a metre away.

“You’re still here?” Sora rolled her eyes. “Better not let Captain Morgan catch you.”

The girl laughed, giving her that broad smile she’d been wearing most of the time she’d seen her. “Hey, I’m looking for a couple of good men to join my pirate crew.”

Sora scowled at her. “ _Pirate_ crew? You think I’d lower myself to that level? No way.”

Straw Hat frowned at her. “Becoming a pirate’s my dream! There’s nothing wrong with that!”

“You really think that if you untie me,” Sora gave her her best blood-chilling smile, “I’m going to join a pirate crew?”

Straw Hat shrugged, her smile back on her face. “I’m not sure if I’ll ask you or not. You have got a pretty bad reputation, you know, Zoro.”

Sora raised an eyebrow. “Bad reputation, huh?” she said lightly.

She shook her head. “I have no intention of becoming a pirate. I’ve got my own plans for the future. I don’t need your help. All I have to do to get out of here is survive for a month. Then I’ll be free to follow my dream.”

“Wow…” the girl blinked at her. “I don’t think I could survive a _week_ without food.”

Sora rolled her eyes. “You and me are different. I’m stronger. Go find your crew elsewhere.”

Straw Hat sighed, but turned around to walk off.

She’d barely gotten three steps when Sora stopped her.

“Wait. Could you… pick that up for me?”

The girl glanced around, looking for what she was after. “This?” Straw Hat picked up the remains of the rice balls, smushed together with the dirt. “You’re not going to eat it? I mean, I know you’re hungry, but this is more dirt than rice.”

“Shut up!” Sora snapped, opening her mouth wide. “Just feed it to me and don’t drop a grain of it!”

Straw Hat shrugged, and took a step forwards. She dropped it into Sora’s mouth, and watched as Sora tried to choke it down.

“I told you. It’s pretty much dirt. Are you trying to kill yourself?”

Sora coughed. “Tell that girl… tell her I said it was delicious,” she muttered, trying to ignore the burning taste in her throat. “Tell her I ate all of it.”

Straw Hat’s eyes lit up with realisation. “’Kay!”

**_ X _ **

It was about an hour when Straw Hat lightly dropped back into the compound. “Heya.”

“You again…” Sora moaned, dropping her head down. “If this is about me joining your pirate crew, the answer is still _no_.”

“Call me Luffi,” the girl said, ignoring her. “I’ll untie you and you join my crew, ‘kay?”

“Didn’t you hear me?” Sora snarled. “I’ve got my own mission, and it does _not_ involve taking up piracy!”

Luffi frowned. Then she shrugged, smiling. “Sorry, but I’ve decided. You’re joining my crew!”

“No way!” Sora snapped.

“Hey, I’ve heard you can use a sword,” Luffi said, glancing Sora up and down.

“Hmph…” Sora snorted. “When I’m not tied up, I can use a sword.”

“So where is your sword?” Luffi asked, glancing Sora’s empty hip.

“The marines don’t tend to let prisoners keep their weapons,” Sora muttered. For the first few days, she’d felt naked without the familiar triple weight. It eventually got to the point where she was _almost_ grateful to be without any added weight pulling on her aching arms

Of course, almost never won any prizes.

“Okay. I’ll go get it, shall I?” Luffi said cheerily.

“What?” Sora blinked at her.

“Then, if you want them back, you’ll join my crew!” Luffi finished with a laugh.

“That’s blackmail!” Sora screamed, indignant.

“See ya soon!” Luffi said cheerily, racing off.

“Wait! Don’t!” Sora blurted, but it was too late. Luffi had already scaled the other fence and was heading for the marine fortress.

Sora closed her eyes. “That is one dumb pirate…”

Still, this was at least something to distract her from the throbbing pains in her wrists, chest, stomach, throat – and pretty much everywhere else.

She spent about ten minutes theorising whether or not Luffi had been caught yet, and if she had would she be dragged out to join her, thrown in a dungeon, or executed on the spot, when she heard panting.

The bounty-hunter glanced over to where Luffi’s male companion was running over. Now she could see him properly, she could see that he was actually very small, and almost shaking with terror as he approached.

“Who are you?” Sora asked casually as the boy stopped, panting for breath.

“I’m… I’m Koby. Where’s Luffi?”

Sora glanced at the marine headquarters. “Last I saw, she was heading over there.”

“What? The fortress?” Koby shrieked.  “That’s… that’s reckless!”

“Yeah – what are you doing?” Sora demanded as the boy took several steps forwards, fumbling at the ropes around her arms “Now _you’re_ the one being reckless! If they catch you, they’ll kill you!”

“I don’t care!” Koby snapped. His voice broke but his fingers didn’t falter. “They imprisoned you unfairly and I can’t stand to see the navy being immoral! I’m going to become a proper marine! Just like Luffi’s going to be King of the Pirates!”

For a moment Sora couldn’t speak. “That idiot’s trying to become _King of the Pirates_?” she blurted. “Does she actually realise what that _means_?”

Koby laughed nervously as the ropes began to loosen. “I didn’t believe her either, but she’s serious. And she’s going to either succeed or die trying!”

_Boom!_

Koby fell backwards, blood squirting from his shoulder as he collapsed.

Sora snarled, glaring up at the fortress where the bullet had come from.

“Are you okay?” she asked finally, not taking her eyes off the fortress.

“No!” Koby blurted, sobbing. “I’ve been shot! I’m gonna die!”

Sora breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. You’re alive. Now get out of here! They’re coming!”

Koby was panting as he struggled to stand up. “I can’t go. I haven’t untied you…”

Sora felt a flicker of a smile. “I’ll be fine. I just have to survive the month. Beat it.”

“No!” Koby blurted, managing to get to his feet. “They’re not going to let you go! You’re going to be executed three days from now!”

“No…” Sora shook her head disbelievingly. “What are you saying?! He promised me! If I survive for a month, he’ll let me go!”

“He never intended to keep that promise!” Koby shouted. “That’s why Luffi punched him! Because she found out he lied to you!”

Sora’s mouth fell open. “ _What?!_ ”

She wasn’t sure if she was more shocked that Helmeppo lied… or that Luffi had defended her.

“The navy is your enemy now!” Koby swore. “Please. If I get you free, will you save Luffi? She saved my life! You don’t have to join her crew but… Luffi’s really strong and so are you! If you team up, you can escape! Please, help her!”

Sora stared at him.

“Stay where you are!”

Both Sora and the wannabe-marine boy snapped to attention, staring at the guns surrounding them.

“Captain Morgan has ordered your immediate execution!”

Koby gave a terrified look towards Sora. She didn’t look at him, instead choosing to glower at the large man loping towards them. The arm that had been replaced with an axe looked more ominous than the last time she had seen him.

“Surround the fortress!” Captain Morgan shouted to his marines, slowing. “If that girl in the straw hat escapes you’ll all be sorry!”

Morgan stopped ten meters from Sora, who was giving him her deadliest look. “You three aren’t simple outlaws. You’re trying to overthrow me!”

He swung his axe through the air, practising. “Roronoa Zoro. Peasants and pirates tremble at your name – but you’re no match for the great one!”

Sora’s only response was to growl, her lip curling.

“Take aim!” Morgan screamed.

The air suddenly rung with a dozen guns clicking, all pointing towards them.

Sora’s mouth suddenly felt very dry as she stared at the guns.

Frantically she started to pull on the ropes, although she knew in the past nine days she’d lost the strength to break them.

_I can’t die yet! I promised Kuina!_

**_Shatter!_ **

“Fire!”

A blur of red flashed through the air, falling from the sky. Suddenly the Straw Hat girl was standing in the way of the bullets, her arms thrown out to protect Sora and Koby.

“Luffi!” Koby screamed.

“ _You?!_ ” Sora blurted, stunned.

Her mind was abuzz with too many thoughts to coherently understand what she was thinking. All she could do was stare and wait for Luffi to collapse, bleeding and dead.

Time seemed to slow down. The bullets seemed to pull her skin out, dragging back and back, until the inevitable splitting through the skin.

But the inevitable didn’t happen.

Luffi’s skin bounded back, the stretch disappearing as the bullets ricocheted towards the marines.

“Bullets _don’t hurt me_!” Luffi shouted triumphantly, her arms spread in a victorious pose.

The bullets slammed into the marines, dropping enemies. Luffi started to laugh, grinning widely.

Sora managed to close her mouth long enough to form a coherent sentence. “ _What was that?!_ What _are_ you?!”

Luffi turned and grinned at her, the scar on her cheek gleaming. “I’m the girl who’s gonna be King of the Pirates!”

Almost casually, the girl walked up to Sora, pulling the swords off her back. Sora hadn’t realised Luffi had successfully gotten them until now. She’d been more concerned with the navy’s guns.

“Which is yours?” Luffi asked, holding them out. “I didn’t know, so I brought all three.”

“They’re all mine,” Sora said weakly, still in shock. “I practise _santoryu_ – three sword style.”

Luffi smiled. “Good thing I brought them all, then.”

She glanced at the army outside the gates, looking entirely unconcerned. “You know, if you fight the navy with me here and now, the government will think you’re one of the bad guys.” She paused for a moment, considering. “I guess you could obey the law and let them you kill you if you’d rather.”

“You just don’t give up…” Sora muttered, a slow, bloodthirsty smile breaking out on her face. “But I’m not ready to die without a fight,” she continued, her voice picking up strength. “Alright! You’ve got yourself a pirate!”

Luffi’s eyes lit up. “Really? You’ll join my crew?!” She punched the air in delight. “Awesome!”

“I don’t have much of a choice! Untie me!” Sora snapped.

“Kay.” Luffi started fumbling with the ropes, ignoring the whispers that had broken out over the marines.

“What _is_ she?”

“I don’t know…”

“The bullets just bounced off her…”

“It doesn’t _matter!_ ” Captain Morgan snarled, his voice carrying. “If bullets don’t hurt her, then use your swords!”

Sora felt her breath hitch in her throat, staring out at the marines, who were drawing the swords and charging.

“These knots are pretty tight…” Luffi said, trying to slip her fingers through the knot.

“Use the swords then!” Sora shouted, frantic. She didn’t want to be cut to pieces by marines any more than she wanted to be shot.

“No, it’s okay, I got it,” Luffi said, still struggling with the knots. “There we go! Got one of your arms!”

“Give my swords!” Sora shrieked.

Finally, _finally_ , a handle was pressed into her hand.

In an instant the other ropes fell away, cleanly sliced. Sora grabbed the other swords from Luffi, pushing the girl out of her way just as the marine army reached them.

Sora felt a slow smile creep up on her face, twitching around the sword in her mouth. Every single one of the marine swords had been deflected by her own three.

“Wow!” Luffi whispered, her eyes alight. “See that, Koby?” she nudged her companion. “He’s so cool!”

“Yeah…” Koby whispered, stunned.

Sora ignored them, her eyes shifting to try and see the marines surrounding her. “The next one who moves,” she said, her voice perfectly coherent around her sword, “ _dies_.”

The swords pressing her seemed to falter as true terror flicked in their faces.

Sora turned her attention to Luffi, who was standing in front, watching the proceedings. “Alright. I made a promise, so I’ll join your crew. I’ve fought the navy, so I’ll be a pirate. But I have another mission.”

She adjusted her right-hand sword ever so slightly, her eyes darkening as she glared at Luffi. “I’m going to become the world’s greatest swordsman! My name may be infamous, but it will _shake_ _the world_! But thanks to you, I’ll be a pirate. So if you ever make me abandon my dream, then I will hold you personally responsible. And I will _kill_ you in the slowest, most painful way I can think of.”

Luffi grinned, unintimidated by Sora’s most menacing growl. “The world’s greatest swordsman? Great! And it’s fitting since your captain will be the King of the Pirates! Anything else would make me look bad.”

Sora smirked at her. “You talk well…”

“Why are they still breathing?!” Captain Morgan screamed in rage. “Hack them into mincemeat!”

Luffi caught Sora’s eye and grinned. “Hey, Zoro? _Duck!_ ”

The pirate girl took a step backwards, and started to run forwards. “Gum-gum…”

Sora took a chance on trusting the Straw Hat girl, and dropped to the ground.

“… _Whip!_ ”

Luffi’s leg stretched out, reaching from one side of the army to the other. It sliced the air just above Sora, throwing the marines backwards.

“Wow!” Koby gasped, his eyes alight with awe. “That’s incredible!”

Sora took a second to estimate how far that leg had just stretched to fell twenty men standing in a line. “What exactly _are_ you?!”

Luffi grinned, pulling one of her arms It started to stretch out. “I’m a rubberwoman!”

“We… we can’t beat them!” one of the marines sobbed, getting to his feet.

Captain Morgan glanced at him. “I will not tolerate defeatists. Shoot yourself.”

The marine stared at him in terror, before slowly reaching for his gun.

“There is something seriously wrong with these marines,” Sora muttered.

“Yeah. Let’s take them down,” Luffi cracked her knuckles, drawing her arm back.

She was about a hundred metres away from Captain Morgan. Her punch cracked across his broken jaw.

“Gum-gum… Rocket!” Luffi grabbed hold of the gate in front of her, and slingshotted off like a rubber band. She hit feet first into Captain Morgan. “I’m your real enemy. Try putting _me_ to death!”

“Not bad,” Sora commented, observing her new ally’s fighting style as she jogged towards them. Luffi was dodging the axe without breaking a sweat, giggling the whole way through. And with every dodge, she landed a punch.

“Stop it!”

Luffi glanced around to see Helmeppo pointing a gun at Koby. “Take one more move and shortie gets it!”

Koby was shaking, but he locked his jaw resolutely. “Don’t stop it, Luffi!” he called. “Don’t let him win to save me! Let him kill me!”

Luffi grinned. “No problem! Hey, idiot-son! He means it, so let him go!”

“Behind you!” Koby shrieked.

Luffi barely noticed the captain coming up behind her, raising his axe high.

“Gum-gum pistol!” Luffi’s fist swung forwards, knocking Helmeppo in the jaw. The gun clattered from his hand.

Behind her, the axe was coming down fast, before Captain Morgan stumbled backwards, blood seeping from the new sword cut on his chest.

“Thanks, Zoro,” Luffi said lightly, not even glancing behind. She knew her new crewmate wouldn’t have let her down.

“You’re welcome…” Sora pushed her headband upwards slightly, “Captain.”

Luffi turned her head around, grinning widely.

“They’re cheering,” Koby whispered quietly, his eyes alight. “That means… they really hated him! Captain Morgan ruled by fear! These marines are good marines!”

“Then ask if you can join them,” Luffi said cheerfully, hitting Koby on the back.

Sora’s lips twitched, before she realised her legs were shaking. The adrenalin was wearing off, and she… she had been fighting almost entirely on adrenalin…

The last thing she heard before collapsing to the ground was Luffi and Koby frantically calling out her assumed male name.

**_ X _ **

“Not eating for nine days was harder than I thought!” Sora said, swallowing down her last bites of the delicious broth.

“See? You wouldn’t have survived a whole month,” Luffi told her.

“You ate almost as much as I did…” Sora said, giving her an odd look.

Her new captain shrugged, grinning. Sora’s mouth twitched in an answering smile.

Luffi thought that Zoro looked much nicer when he was smiling. It made him look softer. He’d also taken off his bandana on about his third bowl, which had also gone some way to making him look less intimidating.

“You were _really_ great!” rice-ball-girl, who had introduced herself as Rika, said admiringly to Luffi.

 “Yeah, I am, aren’t I?” Luffi grinned at her, shoving food into her mouth.

“So where are you going to next?” Koby asked, looking at the two girls (only one of which he knew was female) with an admiring expression.

“Grand Line,” Luffi said, as casually as if it were the next island.

“What?! That’s suicide!” Koby blurted, his eyes wide. “It’s called the pirate’s graveyard for a reason!”

“Sounds interesting,” Sora said, scraping her bowl for more food. “If we want to find the ‘one piece’, that’s where we’ll have to go.”

“Zoro! You’re _agreeing_ with her?” Koby demanded. “Look, I know I’m not going with you, but I’m worried! You’re my friends! The first friends I’ve ever had! You taught me to fight for my dreams!”

“Uh-huh.” Luffi nodded. “Which is why I’m going to Grand Line.”

“Makes sense,” Sora agreed. She glanced at Koby. “What about your plans? How do you plan on becoming a marine with your background with pirates?”

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

“Excuse me,” the marine officer said, stepping into the Rika and her mother’s house. “Gentlemen, lady,” he inclined his head to Luffi, “you are pirates, correct?”

“Yeah!” Luffi grinned. “I even have a crewmate now, so I’m a real pirate captain!”

The marine shifted uncomfortably. “Well, we’re very grateful that you saved our town, but… we’re still officers of the law. We can’t shelter pirates. I’m sorry, but we must ask you leave, although we won’t report you to the navy.”

Outside the house, townsfolk muttered angrily, shouts of ‘navy pigs’ ringing through the air.

“I guess we’ll go then.” Luffi jumped to her feet and inclined her head towards Rika’s mother. “Ma’am, thanks for the meal.”

Sora walked side by side with her new captain, not glancing back as they left Koby behind. But when Luffi stopped to listen to the conversation, the former bounty hunter stopped too.

“Aren’t you going with them?”

“I…” Koby hesitated. “I… I’m not with them,” he forced out.

The marine paused, and glanced at the two waiting pirates. “Excuse me, but is that true?”

Luffi considered the question for a moment, and then smiled slightly. “Well, I know a little about his past. See, there was this secret island – and a big pirate woman – I dunno, she was ugly, named Alvida or something-”

“Luffi!” Koby blurted, horrified. “Don’t!”

The straw-hatted girl grinned at him. “She was pretty mean, and for two years Koby-”

“ _Shut up!_ ” Koby punched her as hard as he could across the face.

Sora smiled slightly. On the floor, Luffi had the same expression. Then the pirate girl jumped to her feet, still grinning. “You little…” she back handed him across the cheek.

“Enough!” the marine shouted, as Koby stumbled to the ground.

Sora caught Luffi’s arm. “Finished.”

“You’re obviously not friends! Please, leave town now!” the marine leader pointed out the door.

Sora almost had to drag the black-haired girl out the door. Once they’d gotten a few metres, though, she obligingly started to walk herself.

 “You know, your acting sucks. Koby’s cover was probably ruined,” Sora told her lightly.

“I’m sure he can make it,” Luffi shrugged as they reached the port. “This is my boat!”

Sora ran her eyes over it. It was a small boat, and looked uncomfortable. Compared to some of the boats she had gone in, though, it appeared fine. This one didn’t even have holes in the bottom.

“Captain Luffi!”

Both pirates glanced around to see Koby standing behind them. He looked at them nervously, and then saluted. “Thank you for everything, cap’n Luffi!”

“Heh. A marine saluting to a pirate,” Sora said, pulling at the mooring. “That’s new.”

Luffi raised her hand. “We’ll meet again – huh?”

Both pirates looked over in confusion to see half of the military base standing behind Koby. Every one of them was saluting.

Sora smiled slightly, looking at her new captain as they pushed off to sea. “So, to the Grand Line?”

“To adventure!” Luffi said firmly, a blissful smile on her face.

**_  
_**


	3. "I Do Things My Own Way!"

**Chapter Three:** **“I do things my own way!”**

 

“So… you can’t navigate. At all.” Sora sighed, running a hand over her short green hair.

“Nah. I’ve just been drifting,” Luffi shrugged, leaning back against the boat. “What about you? You’re the pirate’s terror of the East Blue.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever called myself that,” Sora said, then decided to share at least a little of her past. “I started to travel out to sea, but couldn’t find my way back to my village. I had to earn money somehow, so I started going after pirates with bounties on their heads.”

“So, you got lost?”

Sora sent Luffi her deadliest glare, but decided not to argue against it. “We’ll have to recruit a navigator as soon as possible.”

“Alright,” Luffi agreed, flopping on the deck. “And food. We should have brought food.”

“Yeah…” Sora had no argument for that.

“Hey… a bird,” Luffi sat up. “You wanna eat it?”

“Sure. Can you shoot it down?” Sora asked, assuming Luffi simply hadn’t registered that neither of them had any long range weapons.

“I can catch it,” Luffi said, stretching her arms out. She grabbed hold of the top of the mast. “Gum-gum… rocket!”

The pirate captain soared into the air, heading straight for the bird.

“Not bad…” Sora said, watching her process as she hit the feathered creature around the neck.

Until it occurred to her that Luffi had not caught the bird. The gigantic bird had caught her, and hadn’t even slowed down with the screaming girl in beak.

“Idiot!” Sora cursed, grabbing the oars and paddling as fast as she could.

“It’s a ship! Hey, wait! Please!”

Sora glanced away from the bird for a split second to see several figures bobbing in the ocean. “Shipwrecked? At a time like this?” she grumbled.

“I won’t stop! Just climb on!” she shouted behind her. She took the disbelieving shouts as agreement that they’d heard.

As she powered past, the sailors grabbed onto the boat, struggling in.

“Good. You made it.”

“No thanks to you!” one of them snapped at her.

Another pulled out a knife. “We’re the pirates of Buggy the Clown. Stop the ship.”

Sora felt herself scowl. “ _What?_ ”

Two minutes later, Sora leant back against the back of the boat, watching the attempted hijackers frantically paddle for her.

“We’re sorry, Mr Pirate Hunter Roronoa, sir!” the one in the middle blubbered, trying to ignore his wounds as they rowed. “We didn’t realise it was you!”

“If we can’t find my friend again, you’re going to be worse off,” Sora grumbled, scanning the skies for any trace of Luffi. After a moment her eyes trailed back to the pirates. “How did you end up in the middle of the ocean?” 

“Hehe…” the pirate on the left laughed nervously. “Well, it was all because of that jerk.”

“Yeah, it was all his fault!”

Sora listened attentively as the story unfurled.

_“We got a pretty good haul today, huh?” one of the pirates crowed, peering through the treasure chest._

_“Not too bad for such a small ship,” another agreed._

_“Hey, you guys…” the third one was leaning out the side of the boat. “There’s someone there.”_

_The other two scrambled to look. A ripped and battered boat was drifting besides them._

_“Get it closer!”_

_The boat was tugged towards them as the body lying on deck stirred._

_A boy with auburn hair blinked up at them, struggling to sit up. “Am I seeing things…? Is someone really out here on the vast ocean?”_

_He struggled to his feet. “Please. I don’t know who you are… but could you spare a little water? I’m lost at sea.”_

_The boy rubbed the treasure chest that was lying next to him. “If you want gold, take it. But please help me…?”_

_Each of the pirates stared at the treasure chest. “Sure. We’ll help you. Just let us see what’s in that treasure chest.”_

_“Okay… but then some water?” the boy pleaded, watching as the three pirates boarded the ship._

_“Have a little patience, mate, or we’ll throw you into the_ sea _water,” one of the pirates threatened, pushing past him._

_“Actually, I’ll have to pass on that offer. But you can have the whole ship!” the boy said brightly, his voice suddenly a lot stronger._

_The pirates looked up in horror as they realised he was on their ship, tugging the ropes to pull him away._

_“He stole our ship – and our treasure!”_

_“And this chest is empty!”_

_“I know,” the boy grinned, leaning on the side of the stolen pirate ship. “That’s why you can have it!”_

_He took a step back, glancing at the gathering sky above the pirates. “Let’s see… a dark cloud coming in low… that means a cold front and violent showers…” He smiled wickedly. “A squall’s coming. Small vessels should be careful of capsizing.”_

_Right on cue, the ship the pirates were on tipped, cracking underwater._

_The boy laughed, waving at the heads that popped out of the water. “So long and thanks for the treasure!”_

Sora considered that story as the pirates panted, still rowing as hard as they could. “If he really was as good as you said… he must really know the seas. He’d make a good navigator…” she mused, already considering how best to track him down.

**_ X _ **

As it turned out, tracking down the boy wasn’t that much more difficult than tracking down Luffi.

And once Sora reached land, the best way to find Luffi was to listen for outraged yells.

Sora stepped onto the roof of the tavern, taking in the scene in an instant. An auburn haired boy was frantically pulling at a cannon, desperately glancing behind him at the pirates preparing to strike.

The cannon in question was pointing at a cage holding Luffi.

Sora didn’t bother to unsheathe her swords. Instead, the swords and scabbards came out with her as she stepped between the boy and the approaching pirates.

The boy glanced up, stunned as he saw a green haired figure catching every one of those pirates without actually using the blade.

“You know, twenty to one seems a little one sided,” Sora said, almost bored.

 “Zoro!” Luffi cheered, grinning widely.

Behind Sora, she could hear whispers of her taken name being repeated.

“Did she say-”

“Zoro? As in-”

“Roronoa Zoro?!”

“Are you okay?” Sora asked the red-haired boy, nudging him.

The boy blinked. “Y-yeah…”

“Zoro! I’m so glad you found me!” Luffi said with a grin, nudging the bars holding her. “Get me out of here?”

“Is this a _game_ to you?” Sora asked incredulously. “First, you fly off with a bird, and now I find you in some cage… _idiot!_ ”

A hand caught her by the shoulder. “So. You’re Roronoa Zoro, huh? Did you come for my head?”

“No,” Sora said flatly, brushing the hand off her. “I gave up pirate hunting. I have no interest in you.”

“Well, I’m interested in you…” The pirate who she assumed was Buggy the Clown – for the sole reason he looked _exactly like a clown_ – pulled out several knives. “Killing you would be a nice boost for my reputation.”

“You wouldn’t have a chance,” Sora said flatly.

Buggy smiled wickedly, and then charged.

“You asked for it.” Sora gritted her teeth, her three swords almost jumping into their respective positions.

It was far too easy to slice him into pieces, his head flying off when the blade barely grazed his neck.

“That was too easy…” the red-haired boy whispered.

“Well… that was disappointing,” Sora admitted, putting her swords away.

The laughter of the pirates behind her was a little disconcerting.

“Zoro! Get me out of here!” Luffi kicked the side of the cage.

Sora tapped the cage in question. “Too thick for me to cut through. We need the key.” She turned around to face the pirates, pulling one of her swords out halfway. “Will I ask nicely or do you want me to use force?”

The pirates kept laughing.

“I don’t like this…” the red-haired boy said quietly.

Agonising pain ran up Sora’s side. She fell to her knees with a shout.

“Zoro!” Luffi shouted, worry clouding her expression.

“His… his hand!” the red-haired boy stuttered, shocked.

Sora turned to look at her wound, trying not to flinch. Blood was pouring from her side, coming from a knife… being held by Buggy the Clown’s levitating hand.

The female swordsman didn’t waste time wondering what was going on. As hard as she could, she kicked the hand away from her.

It floated to about the middle of the roof, along with various other body parts. Buggy reassembled himself, that wicked smile still in place. “The chop-chop fruit!” he cackled. “You can slice and dice me, but you can’t kill me! I’m a chop-chop man!”

“Chop-chop man?” the rubberwoman screwed up her face in disgust. “That guy’s a _freak_! And that’s dirty fighting, big nose!”

 Luffi and Sora were the only ones on the roof that didn’t gasp in horror.

“No!” the red-haired boy whispered. “You don’t ever, ever say that!”

“Did you just call me… ‘Big Nose’?!” Buggy asked slowly, his voice rising in pitch.

“Uh, yeah!” Luffi said defiantly.

The clown-like pirate leapt forwards, knives slipping between detached fingers hurtling towards the cage.

The blade froze between Luffi’s teeth. She didn’t have any other defence, so she’d improvised. “I’m gonna clobber you.”

Buggy snarled. On him it sounded more like a laugh. “I think at this point I’m winning!”

“Yeah, but that’ll change,” Luffi grinned, her eyes trailing to the middle of the courtyard. “Hey, Zoro? Run!”

“What?!” Sora stared at her. “I’m not going anywhere, I’m here to save you, and-”

She stopped when she saw what Luffi was looking at. “Oh. Gotcha.”

She ducked several knives spinning through the air, ignoring the gales of laughter. Instead, she paused at the cannon and started to push.

Muscles strengthened from years of training made the huge iron cannon slowly start to turn.

“No… way…” the red-haired boy gasped in shock.

Sora felt a thrill of satisfaction at the looks she was getting. _Ha! I’ve never seen any **boy** who’s strong enough to do that!_

The challenge was sent more to the universe in general than the specific boy staring at her. But ever since she gave up on dealing with the negativity towards a female swordsman, she’d been challenging the world every time she knew she beat it.

The screams of terror were also satisfying.

“He – he moved that cannon!”

“Run!”

“Wah! That thing is loaded with one of my buggy balls!”

Sora hit the red-haired boy on the shoulder. “Light this thing!”

He looked blankly at her, and then his eyes widened with realisation. “Right, right!”

He frantically fumbled for a flint, lighting the cannon.

The subsequent explosion was far bigger than Sora had anticipated.

“Now’s our chance,” Sora stretched. She glanced at the boy. “Who are you, anyway?”

“I… I’m Namizo,” the boy said shakily. “A thief.”

“And,” Luffi grinned. “He’s our navigator!”

“What?!” Namizo shrieked. “I am not! And shouldn’t you be trying to get out of that cage?”

“Ah. Yeah. Probably should,” the girl laughed.

Sora rubbed her wound but growled. “Don’t worry. You just stay in the cage.”

The feeling of satisfaction when she proved her strength was nice, but it wasn’t what inspired her to strain for the cage. What inspired her was the fact that somehow the idiotic pirate girl with an impossible dream had become her friend.

“Zoro, your guts are going to squirt out!” Luffi said nervously as she felt her prison lift.

“Then I’ll… shove them back in…” Sora panted, hitching the cage up. She held it onto her back. “I do things my own way!”

“How can you even do this…?” Namizo asked weakly, his mouth falling open.

Sora didn’t spare him another glance as she lugged the cage down.

It took twelve minutes of solid lugging before her legs started to shake. “You think we’re far enough?”

“Yeah.”

Sora dropped the cage. Luffi rattled inside it, but rubber couldn’t break.

“We’re away, but we have to do something about the cage.” Sora sat down, panting. “And… I’m losing too much blood… I think I need a nap…”

“Okay. You have a nap. I’ll play with this dog here…” Luffi rubbed the head of the small dog that Sora hadn’t noticed. “Why hasn’t he moved yet?”

“Who cares?” Sora grumbled. She rested a hand over her stomach, feeling the sickly sogginess of her shirt. “It’s his business if he wants to move or not.”

“Here, puppy,” Luffi crooned, ruffling the dog under the chin.

The dog bit her face. “Yow!”

“Luffi, stop playing around!” Sora mumbled, then fell backwards. “Can’t… stop idiocy. Lost too much blood.”

A pair of black boots stopped next to her head. “No offense, but is the middle of the street really the best hiding place?” Namizo asked critically.

“Hey! It’s our navigator!” Luffi said cheerily.

“I never agreed to that!” Namizo snapped. “Look, I just wanted to thank you for saving me.”

Lightly he dropped something onto the ground.

“Hey! The key!” Luffi’s eyes lit up. “You stole the key! You’re more than just a really good navigator, aren’t you?”

“I’m _not your navigator_ and I won’t ever be!” Namizo shrieked, stamping his foot on the ground.

**_ X _ **

The new crewmate – or temporary ally, as he had called himself – glanced at his compass. “Okay. A little to the west and… bingo. Found it.”

“Wow!” Luffi looked at him admiringly. “You’re really good!”

“The island is on the map,” Namizo said, giving her a sharp look. He easily jumped out of the boat, grabbing the side to pull it on shore.

“There’s definitely a village?” Luffi asked him.

Namizo nodded, pulling his map out of his bag. “It looks fairly small, but it’s here.”

“Then let’s go find it,” Sora stretched as she slid off the boat. The bandages around her stomach were finally loosened after the week or so since Namizo teamed up with them. “Solid ground at last.”

“You slept the whole way,” Luffi said, giving her a look.

Sora ignored her, frowning up the hill. “We’ve got company,” she stated, seeing four silhouettes watching them.

“Aaah! They saw us!”

“Run!”

“Wait! Don’t go!” A female voice shrieked as three small boys ran off.

The pirates exchanged glances.

There was a quick movement as a girl with long, frizzy black hair stood up in front of them, folding her arms “Begone, pirates! I’m the notorious Captain Usoppa! I have over eight _thousand_ soldiers at my command, ready to fight you!”

There was a moment of silence.

“Liar,” Namizo accused.

Usoppa jumped. “You saw right through me!”

Luffi started to laugh. “You’re funny!”

“I am not!” Usoppa stamped her foot. “I am a proud, independent woman and that is why the village calls me Proud Captain Usoppa!”

“Does this village have meat?” Luffi asked eagerly.

“Well, yes…” Usoppa froze. “No! What it has is an army of the world’s most feared swordsmen, ready to fight any pirates that dare-”

“We’re not here to invade, we’re here to get food and a ship,” Sora interrupted, folding her arms “Unless your _army_ hits first, we won’t fight.” She let her voice fill with disdain so Usoppa was well aware of how little Sora thought of her army.

“Oh. Umm…” Usoppa considered that, and then swept in a melodramatic curtsey. “Then it would be my honour to show you where you might find sustenance.”

“Alright,” Namizo nodded as Usoppa straightened. “What about a ship-”

“Meat!” Luffi was already running in the direction the three small boys had run towards.

Namizo sighed. “What do you reckon are the chances of her getting lost?”

“We’ll track her down eventually,” Sora said dismissively. She started walking. “You going to show us the way or not?”

“Um…” Usoppa shifted uncomfortably. She didn’t really want to have to correct the terrifying looking ‘man’ in front of her, but she didn’t see how else to fix this. “Yes… but you’re going in the opposite direction.”

Sora immediately turned on her heel and started walking.

“Uh… still not there yet,” Usoppa said quietly.

“Zoro. That way.” Namizo pointed.

Sora finally was walking in the right direction. She glanced over her shoulder. “Are you coming or not?”

“Yeah.” Namizo jogged over, Usoppa following timidly behind.

“So, um, you’re sure nothing is going to happen while you’re here?” the black-haired girl asked nervously, glancing up the path towards her village.

Sora nodded once. “Promise. Unless you give us reason to.”

One ‘reason to’ later, and they sailed off again, the _Going Merry_ and Usoppa both added to their crew. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Usoppa’s part is a little short, I know. The next chapter (and introduction) is longer.  
> Comments are wonderful. I’d appreciate it if you cared to share how you feel about the fic so far.


	4. "Nice Restaurant. I'll Take It."

It took a total of two minutes for Sora to decide that she didn’t like the waitress.

“May I take your order?” the blonde girl said to the table at large, curtseying neatly with a smile. Her miniskirt dipped up high enough for Sora to see she was wearing shorts underneath.

“Uh, yeah,” Usoppa nodded, picking up the menu and pointing at her chosen dish. “Can I have the-”

“If you’re not sure, _monsieur_ , I would recommend the soup,” the girl said sweetly to Namizo, ignoring Usoppa entirely. “It’s my own specialty, and delicious, if I say so myself.”

“Hey!” Usoppa protested indignantly. “I was ordering!”

“You’ll get your turn,” the girl said flatly, barely glancing at her. “Wait for it.”

Usoppa began to splutter. “You’re a pretty pathetic waitress, you know!”

“Actually,” the waitress said sharply, struggling to keep a civil tone, “I’m not a waitress. I’m the assistant head chef.”

“So why is the assistant head chef out taking orders, then?” Usoppa folded her arms, glaring at her.

The waitress/chef forced a smile onto her face. “You see… the waitstaff all jumped ship. We do, however, have a new and untamed chore girl as of about twenty minutes ago. She’s a vicious, bloodthirsty pirate who fired onto us unprovoked. Would you rather I send her over?”

Usoppa’s bravado seemed to shrink a little.

“Um, excuse me,” Sora interrupted. “But this pirate – she wouldn’t happen to have black hair, a red shirt and a straw hat, would she?”

“You know her?”

“Met her once or twice.” Sora smirked slightly.

“You know, the soup _does_ sound delicious,” Namizo said with a warm smile towards the chef, “but maybe could I have a few more minutes to decide?”

“Oh, of course,” the girl said with a flirtatious smile, curtseying again.

Half of the chef’s face was covered by blonde hair that reached halfway down her back. Still, the half that was visible was incredibly emotive, enough for Sora to easily recognise when the cook turned the same love-struck eyes on her.

Girls – or occasionally boys – flirting with ‘Zoro’ weren’t entirely new territory. Sora was never interested, though, and simply steered them off. Generally, just telling them her assumed name would scare them away, as few people wanted to go out with the most terrifying bounty hunter in the East Blue.

This time, however, it bugged her. Judging by Usoppa, the chef quite obviously would be treating her much worse if she was dressed as a girl and even though the intentions were flirtatious, it bothered her. Sora frowned at the chef, who barely blinked.

“I’ll take the soup,” she said flatly.

The broad smile that swept over her face as she curtseyed – _again_ – was surprising. “I’ll make it with extra love, just for you,” she promised sweetly.

“I’ll take the soup, hold the love,” Sora corrected her order with a sentence she had thought was implied.

For the first time while looking at her, and somewhat to Sora’s relief, the chef’s smile faltered for a second. Then it was back, as bright as ever. “If you so insist.”

“Can I order yet?” Usoppa grumbled.

The girl gave her an irritated look. “Fine. What do you want?”

“The steak, well done, no mushrooms.”

“Fine,” the girl muttered, then turned a dazzling smile on Namizo. “Have you decided what you would like to eat yet, _cher_?”

“Hmm… well, I do like the look of the _Filet Mignon_ ,” Namizo mused.

“Of course! Right away!”

The chef wandered away, humming a love song under her breath as she brushed past a girl in waitstaff clothes, a familiar straw hat covering her black hair.

“Hey!” Luffi stopped dead when she saw them. “You guys are eating without me!”

“Hey, Chore Girl,” Namizo waved teasingly.

“How long are you here for?” Usoppa asked, giggling into her hand.

“How come I have to work here and you’re eating out?!” Luffi snapped, stamping her foot.

Apparently she had forgotten that it had been her that shot the cannonball at the Baratie restaurant, although admittedly it had been in self-defence.

“Well, why shouldn’t we enjoy a nice meal?” Sora asked instead.

“Because it’s mean!” Luffi muttered mutinously.

Before Sora could counter the childish statement there was a soft click as her plate was pressed in front of her. Namizo’s had appeared with similar grace, although Usoppa’s had pretty much been dropped, some vegetables spilling onto the table.

“Wow. Impressive service,” Sora said, genuinely impressed at the speed.

The chef’s eyes nearly glazed over at the compliment. “Oh, it is no trouble at all! Why, love hath smiled upon me to give me this day of days! Ah, I just hope that I have enough strength in my body to survive this pain!”

Sora blinked at her, caught off guard. “That’s… uh… you know, I don’t even know your name,” she said, deciding to play her best _get-rid-of-her_ card.

“Of course, how discourteous of me. I am Sanae,” the chef inclined her head. “Please, what music to my ears is your name?”

 “Roronoa Zoro.”

“And what a striking name it-” Sanae stopped halfway through her sentence as it registered she had heard it before. “As in, the pirate hunter?”

“Yes.” Sora’s lips twitched in a smile.

Sanae considered that for a moment, and then – to Sora’s annoyance – her love-struck smile fixed back on her face. “Well, the legends about you do not half give you justice to your manly rugged countenance.”

_Manly?_ She passed as male. She did not look _manly_.

“I was not aware my reputation mentioned my appearance,” Sora said darkly.

Around them, she heard the words ‘Roronoa Zoro’ bounced around from table to table, with people looking either curiously or terrified. One person, presumably a pirate afraid she was after his head, fled the room entirely.

“No… but it should,” Sanae sighed wistfully. “Oh, I would stoop to becoming a pirate if only to have you chase me. Ah, if only there were not so many obstacles in our path!”

“Wait… what?”

 “Obstacles, Sanae?” an old man with a peg leg and a chef’s uniform snorted, stopping by their table.

“What do _you_ want?” Sanae muttered, glaring at him.

“Follow your heart,” the head chef said dismissively. “Go be a pirate. I don’t need you.”

Sanae’s eye not covered by her blonde hair twitched. “What was that, crap-geezer?” she demanded. “I’m the assistant chef. What do you mean, ‘ _I’m not needed_ ’?!”

“You fight with customers,” Chef Zeff began to list, “You waste hours flirting with men, and then get their girlfriends in a rage, the other chefs don’t like you… and you’re a lousy cook. So go be a pirate and leave my restaurant.”

“ _Don’t_ step over the line, old man!” Sanae snapped, her visible eye blazing. She shoved him in the chest. “You can insult me, but don’t _ever_ insult my cooking! And I’m not going anywhere!”

Chef Zeff’s foot kicked out, tripping her. Sanae somersaulted backwards, colliding with the table. “Do not lay hands on me!”

The three pirates sitting there grabbed their food to prevent it being destroyed as Sanae blinked from the demolished table, dazed.

Sanae shook her head and snarled. “You won’t kick me out! I’ll cook here until you die!”

“I won’t die. I’ll live a thousand years just to spite you,” Chef Zeff muttered as he walked back to the kitchen.

Sanae muttered under her breath.

“Great, you got permission!” Luffi said happily. “Join my crew!”

“ _Never!_ ”

Usoppa was busy setting the table up again. She lightly put her plates down on it to take the last few bites. Namizo and Sora copied her example.

“Enjoy your meal?” Sanae asked, her smile back on her face as she turned to Namizo and Sora.

“Yes, indeed,” Namizo said, getting to his feet. He slipped into his most flirtatious mode, developed at sea for haggling situations similar to this – and judging from the look on Sanae’s face, this one was going to be the easiest yet. “But, miss, the gourmet fare is a tad pricey…” he said with a smile, ready to try and bargain it down.

“For you it’s free!” Sanae said immediately, her eyes sparkling.

Namizo was surprised, but smiled broadly. “Why thank you. A true princess.”

Sanae was almost singing, before she glanced sharply at Usoppa. “You, however, had better pay up.”

Then she wandered off again, humming.

“Did you put a spell on her?” Sora asked, reaching through her pocket. As thin as her wallet was stretching, she was not taking advantage of Sanae’s offer without feeling like she earned it.

Namizo only winked, grinning.

 “What a flirt…” Usoppa muttered.

“Yeah, but the tea’s good…” Luffi commented.

A second later a hand curled around the back of her shirt and dragged her from her seat. “Enough goofing off, chore girl!” Sanae snapped, pulling her towards the kitchen. “Offer hot towels to our customers!”

“Okay…”

“So how long are we going to have to wait for our captain?” Namizo asked, watching as the blonde girl dragged her off.

“She doesn’t like waiting.” Sora shrugged. “I give it two weeks at most.”

As a matter of fact, it took two days before anything interesting happened.

“Zoro! Get up!” Namizo shook her violently.

“What’s going on?” Sora asked, too sleepy to realise her voice was in its natural female pitch.

“We’ve got pirates! Real pirates!”

Sora yawned as she stood up, picking her swords up from the bedside table. She and Namizo shared a room, as they were apparently both male.

She was quickly growing tired of having to put up the level of pretence to keep acting like a boy. She’d rarely travelled with Johnny and Yosaku for over a month at a time, and mostly she’d gotten a bit more privacy then. For one thing, two years ago she’d learnt the hard way that sleeping with her specially designed binder was a terrible idea, although better than the bandages. Having to disguise the fact she had breasts when asleep had resulted in her wearing several layers of clothes under several blankets even on hot nights.

Walking out of the room, she rubbed her arms, trying to look as if she was cold instead of hiding the fact her binder was currently hidden under her pillow. “What pirates?”

“Don Krieg… the Don of the Pirate Armada…” Namizo whispered, shaking in fear. “He has five thousand men and… and a fleet and… and what’s he doing _here_?!”

Sora looked at the flagship that dwarfed their little _Going Merry_ , heading to the Baratie. “Can I get dressed before we go into battle?”

“Is that really important here?” Namizo snapped.

“I notice you took the time to dress,” Sora retorted. “Besides, the ship is a wreck. Looks like it went through a typhoon. Give me ten minutes.”

With that, she walked back into the boys room and locked the door securely behind her.

She dressed in her customary layers, taking a moment to check that her figure was well hidden, before walking out to the deck. “Are we going or what?”

Usoppa was shaking, clinging to the mast. Namizo was braver, holding onto the side of the ship as he shook. Johnny and Yosaku were frantically trying to figure out how to set sail.

“Of course we’re going! Really fast!” Usoppa squeaked. “We’ve got to get out of here!”

“I meant in the other direction,” Sora said, lightly jumping over the side of the boat.

“Brother Zoro!”

“No! Brother Zoro! Come back!”

Sora ignored them, walking into the Baratie _._

Behind her, Usoppa ran to catch up, apparently unwilling to let any decent fighter who she was allied with get too far away. The two pirates slid into the restaurant, ignored by everyone.

Although she’d never been close enough to bother tracking him down, Sora had seen the bounty poster enough times to recognise him. Don Krieg, the legendary pirate of the East Blue, was lying on the floor, almost crying. “I… I won’t harm anyone, I promise!” he whispered. “I beg you… help me!”

His right hand man shook his head frantically. “Don, don’t! Don’t grovel!”

Krieg ignored him. “Please… I beg you. Leftovers… please… anything!”

One of the chefs folded his arms “That sympathy act ain’t gonna work on-”

“Get out of my way, Patty!” a female voice snapped.

Suddenly the chef in question was flung several steps backwards by a well-placed boot to the chest.

“Here, Gin.” Sanae handed the plate to the right hand man. “Give him this.”

“Sanae!”

Gin immediately gave the plate to Krieg, who began shoving it down his throat in a speed that showed how hungry he truly had been.

For a split second Sanae relaxed a little. Watching someone so clearly in need of her food enjoying it so much was satisfying.

And then Don Krieg punched her across the jaw, throwing her back several steps until she stumbled to the ground.

“Sanae!” Gin shouted, shocked. “Krieg, you swore you wouldn’t! You promised you wouldn’t hurt anybody if I led you here! That woman saved our lives!”

Krieg ignored him, getting to his feet. “The food was good,” he said quietly, stretching. “My strength is returning.”

He paused for a second to look around. “Nice restaurant. I’ll take it.”

Sanae smiled bitterly, wiping away a trickle of blood from her face. “So that’s how it is.”

Customers were fleeing the ship, racing towards their own boats. Krieg made no attempt to stop them.

“My ship’s a wreck,” the don continued. “I need a new one. I won’t kill anyone though – if you’re smart. I have a hundred men on my ship who are still alive. They need food and water. Prepare them before they starve.”

In a moment there were shrieks of outraged refusal. The general gist of the shouts was that the Baratie chefs had no intention of feeding pirates to have the strength to hijack their ship.

Only Sanae’s voice was absent. She sighed heavily, and then got to her feet.

Patty grabbed her by the shoulder. “Where do you think you’re going? You got us into this mess!” he shouted at her.

Sanae didn’t glance at him. “The kitchen. We have a hundred meals to prepare.”

If the din was outraged before, that was nothing to the response that greeted this pronouncement.

To her credit, Sanae never once flinched from the two dozen guns suddenly pointed at her.

“We _won’t_ let you into the kitchen.”

“We’re _not_ going along with this.”

“Are you Krieg’s _dog_ , Sanae?”

Sanae sighed and held out her arms. “Okay. Fine. Shoot if you must.”

No-one moved.

“They’re irredeemable villains, but it’s not my job to judge them; it’s my job to feed them. It gets too complicated otherwise. I’m a chef and I consider it nothing short of my duty to feed anyone hungry.”

Luffi felt her mouth open slightly. “Wow…” she whispered, impressed.

Sanae yelped as suddenly her arm was twisted behind her back. The girl was tossed into the group of chefs in front of her.

“Hold her back!” Patty snapped at the cooks, who hastened to obey. Patty glared at Sanae, who glowered back. “I know you feed those I chase off. Maybe sometimes you’re right, but this is _not one of those times_. Now sit back, girlie, and let the men take care of this problem.”

Sora felt her lip curl. Nevertheless, she didn’t move from her seat, ignoring the chattering teeth of Usoppa next to her as Patty proceeded to pull a bazooka out of a hidden panel in the wall.

Don Krieg was blasted through the door, destroying the frames around it.

“What about the men on his ship, though?” Sanae asked calmly before the dust had even settled.

“I vote we let them burn instead of starve,” Patty replied darkly.

“What kind of a cook lets things burn?” Krieg asked lazily, walking back through the door. “Hardly an admirable quality.”

“He’s wearing… body armour…” Luffi whispered, her eyes bugging out.

The Baratie chefs didn’t pause for a moment, rushing towards him with weapons clutched in their hands.

Krieg didn’t let them get close before a spray of bullets beat them back.

“Ahhh!”

“Gun barrels all over him!”

“Bullets!”

But it was Sanae’s piercing scream that was loudest of all. “AAAIIIIIEEEEEE! Help!”

In a moment a red blur tackled into her, pushing her below a table.

The bullet spray ended. Luffi scrambled off her. “Are you okay?” she asked worriedly.

Sanae sighed. “Yeah. Thanks,” she muttered, looking disappointed for some reason.

 “Great. Sanae’s asking for rescuing again,” one of the chefs groaned.

“No-one defies me!” Krieg screamed. “I want my food!”

A sack dropped in front of him. Chef Zeff stood behind it, his arms folded. “There’s food for a hundred. Take it to your men.”

The restaurant was silent for a moment, each of the cooks staring in mild horror at their head chef.

Krieg smiled slowly, picking up the bag. “Well, thank you. At least one of you has sense. Two of you,” he amended, glancing at Sanae. She met his gaze with a steely glare. “You’ve seen that I’m the strongest of all! I am the future King of the Pirates!”

“I did not ask for your life story,” Chef Zeff said flatly, deciding to hide his disbelief at Krieg’s claim.

Luffi didn’t bother. “Hey! You’re not!”

“I’m… not?” Krieg asked slowly, turning to her.

“Yeah! You’re not going to be King of the Pirates,” Luffi growled, her eyes alight with anger. “ _I am!_ ”

There was a moment of stunned silence before Don Krieg’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll give you one chance to take that back, little girl.”

“Why? It’s the truth,” Luffi said pertinently.

Sora pulled her sword half out of its sheath. “Is it time to fight, Luffi?” she asked. Her estimation of Usoppa went up slightly as she saw that she stopped shaking the moment everyone glanced at them, although returned to shivering violently as soon as eyes were off.

“Probably soon, but don’t worry,” Luffi waved it aside. “I can handle this.”

Krieg started to laugh. “You have a pretty pathetic crew, you know! Is that it?”

“Nup!” Luffi held up two fingers. “There’s two more, so there’s five of us together!”

“You’d better not be counting me,” Sanae warned.

“Don’t be so cocky, girl!” Krieg screamed at Luffi. “I had a fleet and five thousand men! We were destroyed in seven days!”

“Seven days?!” one of the Baratie chefs repeated incredulously.

“What could have done _that_?!”

“Krieg’s armada was destroyed so quickly?!”

Usoppa grabbed Sora’s arm. “Going to the Grand Line is suicide! Can’t we call it off? Fifty ships in one week!”

Sora smirked, shaking the sniper off. “Sounds interesting.”

Krieg reached down and scooped up the bag of food. “As much as I would love to blow you to bits, I don’t have the time. I’m taking this food to the men on my ship. Anyone who wants to survive had better be gone by the time I come back.”

On that ominous note, he stepped out of the room.

Gin looked at Sanae desperately as she calmly got to her feet. “Sanae, I’m sorry! I didn’t think he would I do this! I… he swore he…”

Chef Zeff sighed. “It’s not entirely your fault, eggplant. The cooks helped bring this as well.”

“Are you siding with _Sanae_?” Patty shrieked indignantly, pointing at the blonde girl in question.

“She’s the one who started this!”

“She must be insane!”

“She wants to destroy the Baratie!”

“No, that girl would just do anything to be head chef!”

“ _Shut up, you eggplants!_ ” Chef Zeff shouted over the din.

The restaurant quieted to listen.

“Has anyone here _really_ been hungry before? Have you gone for days without food or water on the seas? Do you have any idea of the agony that is?” Chef Zeff demanded.

He seemed to be making a point not to look at Sanae. The blonde girl in turn simply reached into her black blouse pocket, pulling out a small box.

“So what do we do now, Chef?” one of the cooks asked nervously.

“If you’re going to keep moaning, feel free to leave.” The one-legged chef pointed at the door.

There was a moment of silence, before the cooks in unison started to pick up their weapons. “Don Krieg will _never_ have the Baratie!”

“Are you all fools?” Gin gasped, stunned. He threw his hands out. “You saw what Krieg can do! You’d better run!”

“Gin,” Sanae said sharply. Krieg’s follower stopped talking to look at her.

Sanae flicked her lighter, lighting her cigarette. She took a breath from it, and then turned back to him. “Listen to me. I’m a cook, so I’ll feed anyone who needs it. But soon I’ll face plunderers with full stomachs. So don’t complain if I have to beat your friends to death.”

Patty snorted. “First you save them, then you kill them? Good idea, Sanae.”

“Shut it, crap-cook.”

“See?” Luffi said, leaning against the table Usoppa and Sora had taken. “She’s pretty tough!”

“Who cares?” Usoppa pushed her chair out. “I think we can still make it out in time!”

Sora rolled her eyes. “Relax. They’re wounded and starving.”

“Yeah.” Luffi nodded decisively. “Besides, Krieg’s pretty powerful. I’ll have to take him down sometime.”

She paused, and then glanced at the pirate sitting in the doorway. “Hey, Gin. You said you didn’t know anything about the Grand Line. But you’ve been there?”

Gin hung his head into his hands. “I don’t – I don’t know anything. It’s all a crazy fog. He appeared so suddenly… one man. How could one man scupper fifty ships?!”

“ _What?!_ ”

“No way!”

“Impossible!”

“Krieg’s armada was destroyed by one man?!”

Gin nodded, shaking. “Our ships were sinking, one after the other. If that storm hadn’t come up, he’d’ve sent the flagship to the bottom too! I… I don’t want to remember him… that man with the sword and the piercing hawk eyes!”

Sora felt her blood run cold.

Chef Zeff frowned. “It had to be Hawkeye…” he mused. “You said his eyes were like a hawk’s. That’s proof enough.”

Usoppa gulped, shaking. “Haw-Hawkeye?”

“Who’s Hawkeye?” Luffi asked her.

“I don’t know but he sounds really scary!”

“He’s the man I’ve been looking for,” Sora said quietly.

“Huh?” Both Luffi and Usoppa turned in surprise, and were surprised to see a slow smile spreading over her face.

“So now I know where I have to go. The Grand Line,” she said, running her fingers along her swords. “That’s where I’ll find _him_!”

Sanae took her cigarette out of her mouth long enough to blow smoke into the air. “You do realise you’ll be killed the moment you get there?”

Sora felt her skin crawl at yet _another_ assertion she wouldn’t fulfil her dream. “I disagree,” she said quietly, her voice full of venom.

“In which case, you’re a fool. You’re cute, but a fool,” Sanae said, rolling the cigarette between her fingers.

Sora’s fist bunched up. “I might be a fool, but nobody calls me that but me. The day I decided to become the world’s greatest swordsman I was ready to die for it.”

“Me too, me too!” Luffi said, her trademark grin on her face. “You can’t be a pirate if you aren’t willing to die for your dream!”

Sanae frowned. “Stupid…” she muttered.

“Dream later!” Patty snapped. “Right now, dem sea-wolves are getting ready! Dey’re the most savage pirates in the eastern seas! Right now, we have to get ready to fight ‘em!”

An explosion rattled the air around them.

“What was that?!” Sora leapt to her feet.

“Don Krieg’s ship!” Carne shouted, looking out the window. “It’s listing!”

“Namizo, Johnny and Yosaku are on our ship!” Luffi shrieked, running for the door. Her two crewmates followed on her heels.

“Brother Zoro! Brother Zoro!”

“Johnny! Yosaku!” Sora leant over the railing, looking frantically at the two men trying to swim. “Are you okay?”

“Where’s the ship? Where’s Namizo?” Luffi shouted, staring at the space the _Going Merry_ had been just a few minutes earlier.

“Sister Luffi! We’re sorry, but… they’re gone! It was Brother Namizo! He sailed off with all the treasure!”

In unison the Straw Hat pirates leant forwards, stunned. “ _What?! He took the ship?!_ ”

It took a few moments for the two brothers to clamber up onto the Baratie. They started telling the story almost before they’d reached the railing.

_“Why do you keep staring at the bounty list?” Johnny asked, looking at the red-haired boy in confusion._

_“What?” Namizo glanced around. “No reason.”_

_The two bounty hunters glanced out to sea, not even noticing as Namizo lightly dropped onto their ship. “That one was a pretty tough guy… even we were almost beaten by a hair.”_

_“Yeah, but a twenty million berry bounty is pretty irresistible… Brother Namizo, what are you doing?”_

_Namizo smiled at them as he dragged the large sack of clinking metals onto the Going Merry. “I thought I’d have a look through your treasure and evaluate it for you, since you guys have been such a help. You wouldn’t want to go to a seller and get ripped off ‘cause you don’t know what it’s worth, do you?”_

_“Oh, well thank you, Brother Namizo,” Yosaku smiled._

_Namizo turned so they couldn’t see his smirk, rummaging through the bag. He pulled out a large goblet. “Hmm… well, this one looks to be worth – oops!”_

_The goblet clattered from his hands, rolling towards the side of the ship._

_“Hey! Watch it with our treasure!” Johnny shouted as he and Yosaku ran after the cup, Namizo close on their heels._

_Yosaku’s fingers curled around the handle safely just as it started tipping over the edge. “Whoa. That was a close one,” he said in relief, glancing over the ocean. “You’d better be more careful with our-”_

_The next thing the two bounty hunters knew, they had been tossed over the side of the railing._

Ker-plash!

_“Hey!”_

_“Brother Namizo! What are you doing?!”_

_Namizo grinned wickedly at them, twirling the goblet in his fingers that he had somehow slipped from Yosaku’s fingers. “My job, idiots. I rob pirates.”_

_He chuckled, putting the goblet safely down on the floor. “This ship is my prize. I never swore allegiance to Luffi – this was a temporary partnership. Plus, your treasure was irresistible.”_

_For a second he just looked wistful. “I wasn’t with Luffi and Zoro for very long, but I had fun. Give the others my best, tell them I hope we meet again!”_

_Namizo hummed to himself as he left, ignoring the angry cries of the bounty hunters._

“Damn it!” Sora punched the wall of the Baratie, leaving a substantial hole in it. “We should’ve known it was an act!”

“He abandoned us when we needed him most!” Usoppa snapped.

“I can still see him!” Luffi shouted, peering over the railing. “The _Going Merry_ – it hasn’t gone far!”

“What?”

“Johnny, Yosaku, where’s your ship?” Luffi asked frantically.

“It’s anchored nearby,” Yosaku answered her.

“Zoro, Usoppa, you need to-” Luffi began.

Sora raised an eyebrow. “Why go after that thief?”

“What about our ship?” Usoppa protested. “Kaya’s ship?”

“No!” Luffi snapped. “Namizo is our navigator and no-one else!”

Usoppa and Sora exchanged a glance.

“Urgh. Fine,” Sora grimaced. “What an annoying captain. Come on, Usoppa.”

“The ship’s ready!” Johnny called from his boat.

“Luffi? You coming?” Usoppa paused.

“I can’t. Baratie is still in trouble.” Luffi shook her head.

“Kay. Be careful, it could get dicey,” Sora said, already halfway into the boat when the cries on Don Krieg’s flagship erupted.

“Don Krieg! Look!”

“It’s him!”

“He followed us!”

“The one that sank our ships!”

“It’s Hawkeye!”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I think you can guess what particular scene the next chapter will entail.  
> As a quick reminder – I said that there would be no pairings, and I meant it. Sanae currently flirting with Sora does not mean there’s going to be any fem ZoSan – it means that Sanae flirts with anything she thinks is male, as proper of a fem!Sanji. There’ll be plenty of Sanae/Sora interactions, much like how there will be plenty of interaction between the rest of the crew, but there will be no shipping.


	5. "To Be The Greatest."

**Chapter Five:** **“To be the greatest.”**

Sora froze. For a second it felt like every muscle in her body tensed up.

She leapt up to the railing, frantically leaning to the side to see better. _Is that really him?_

The sea misted up, obscuring her view of the small boat. But from what she could see, the man sitting on board looked completely confident despite the dangerous situation.

She leapt over the railing again, racing to the direction that a small boat was coming from.

“But what about Namizo?” Usoppa asked, but Sora ignored her. Who cared about a stupid thief when the world’s greatest swordsman had just turned up?

Bullets fired from an irate pirate were proof enough for her. In an instant Hawkeye’s sword was in his hand in the general direction of the gun, with the bullets flying well over his head.

“You missed!”

“No, he didn’t,” Sora said darkly, dropping behind them. “Shooting at him is useless. He deflected the bullets with his blade.”

“Who are _you_?” the pirate asked in confusion.

“I’ve never seen such subtle sword work…” Sora continued. Her heart was beating in her ears as she took quiet steps towards him.

Hawkeye’s sword was already back in its sheath. “Without subtlety, a sword is but an iron bar.”

“You split the galleon with that sword?” she asked.

“Naturally.”

Sora felt a slow smile break over her face. In her ears, her heartbeat sounded faster. “I see. Then you are the greatest.”

Behind her, she heard several of Don Krieg’s pirates whispering, noticing her three swords. 

“I went to sea to find you,” Sora continued.

“Why?”

Sora tied her black hairband over her head. “To be the greatest.”

She took a deep breath, and then issued her challenge. “Looking for some fun? Then fight me.”

“Did he just defy him?” one of the pirates asked in shock.

Sanae flicked ash into the sea. “So he was telling the truth. He is Roronoa Zoro.” 

Her quiet pronouncement seemed to ring in the air, before the witnesses began to repeat her assumed name in shock.

“Roronoa-!”

“As in, _Santoryu_ Zoro?”

“The Pirate Hunter…?”

“What’s he doing _here_?!”

“Luffi, the ship’s almost gone!” Usoppa said, tugging on the rubberwoman’s arm.

“In a minute…” Luffi said quietly.

Hawkeye observed Sora for a moment. “You’re weak. If you’re a competent swordsman, you already know that I surpass your puny skills. Does the courage to point your blade at me come from confidence… or ignorance?”

Sora unsheathed her swords. “It comes from ambition, and a promise.”

Hawkeye silently reached into his coat and pulled out a small knife, about the size of a finger.

“What’s that for?” Sora asked sharply.

“I’m not the kind of fool who hunts rabbits with a cannon,” Hawkeye said, absently holding the knife. “You may have a reputation in the East Blue, but from the Grand Line you’re a bunny. I’m sorry, but this is the smallest blade I have.”

Sora snarled. “Take it easy with the bravado.”

Without warning she charged, her three swords perfectly aligned as she prepared to strike.

It was a perfect shot. But Hawkeye was better.

The small knife had hit all three swords at the point where they intersected, blocking them entirely.

Sora could hear nothing but the blood rushing to her head.

 _No-one’s ever countered me before, but he did it with that toy?_ she thought desperately, pushing as hard as she could with her swords.

Hawkeye only watched her coolly as Sora’s heartbeat hitched up. _We can’t be this unequal!_

She pulled her swords back from the little toy, and again flung them. This time she spread the three swords out so if he blocked one, another two would still hit.

Instead, all three were perfectly deflected, one after the other but so closely together it felt like there were three blades blocking her.

_This can’t be happening!_

“You’re too heavy handed,” Hawkeye said dismissively, another of Sora’s blows gliding off him.

 _I will not be countered by a toy! I didn’t come all this way to lose!_ Sora mentally screamed. _I came to win!_

For a split second, she could hear Kuina’s voice in her head. _‘I wish we could do it. I wanna become the world’s greatest swordsman too!’_

Hawkeye barely seemed to be moving as he deflected her hardest hits. “What drives you? Why do you fight so hard when you cannot win? You’re a weakling.”

Sora snarled.

She was completely oblivious to the fact that Luffi held Yosaku and Johnny back from rushing to her aid. The rubberwoman angrily snapped that this was Zoro’s fight and, win or lose, they would _not_ interfere.

She did hear Luffi’s voice in her head, though.

_‘The world’s greatest swordsman? Great! And it’s fitting since your captain will be the King of the Pirates! Anything else would make me look bad.’_

Sora pulled back the swords in her hand over her head and swung them as hard as she could in her ‘tiger-hunt’ manoeuvre.

Again, the blades never connected. But this time, Hawkeye had tired of deflecting her and had gone on the offensive.

The knife pierced deep into Sora’s torso, barely missing vital organs.

Sora’s arms faltered, but she didn’t let go of her swords as the blood began to seep down her body. She didn’t move at all.

Hawkeye cocked his head to one side, curiously observing her. “Why do you stand there? Do you want your guts cut out?”

Sora swallowed past the rising acid in her throat. “I… can’t retreat. If I… take one step… my vow… my ambition… everything I’ve done… will be worthless. All my dreams will be… lost.”

Hawkeye nodded once. “Yes. That’s defeat.”

“Exactly.” Sora swallowed again, ignoring the blood dripping down her mouth from a wound she didn’t remember receiving. “So I… can’t retreat. I’d prefer death to defeat.”

Hawkeye felt himself impressed.

Slowly he withdrew the small knife and looked at Sora.

“Girl… speak your name.”

Sora stared at him for a split second, lifting her swords again. “Roronoa Sora.”

Hawkeye nodded. “I’ll remember it,” he said, pulling out the huge black sword from his sheathe. “I’ll honour the swordsman’s code and send you to your grave with the finest blade in the world.”

 _It’s my last chance. Win or die. Greatest or death._ Sora held her swords close to herself, not flinching from the wound.

For the first time she saw Hawkeye truly go on the offensive. He ran towards her, sword swinging forwards.

Sora spun her swords and prepared to block it.

With more force than she thought was possible, Hawkeye powered through her swords. The shattered blades collapsed to the floor as blood began to seep from her new wound.

Sora stared at the useless handles. The one in her mouth – Kuina’s blade – was fine, but… she wouldn’t win. Couldn’t win.

_I’ve lost… it’s over. That blade… He’s too fast and too powerful…_

Time seemed to slow down. Acceptance was the only thing she felt as Sora sheathed her final sword, then turned around, arms open, to face Hawkeye’s returning blow.

“What are you…?” Hawkeye asked, his sword pausing for just a moment.

Sora gave him her best smile, mouth dribbling blood. “Wounds on the back are a swordsman’s shame.”

Hawkeye smiled. “ _Magnificent._ ”

The blade slashed across her chest, ripping through her shirt, binder and flesh.

**_ X _ **

“Zoro!” Luffi screamed.

“Brother!” Johnny and Yosaku shrieked.

Sanae’s cigarette fell out of her open mouth as she stared. “Why…?”

 _That idiot!_ Sanae screamed in her head. _He had to know he didn’t have a chance, but he’d rather die than give up!_

“It’s easy!” Sanae found herself conscious of screaming. “Just give up your stupid dream and live!”

Of course, it was too late. Zoro’s body hit the water with a splash.

Sora was semi-conscious as she began to sink. Around her, her blood fluttered up, but the pain seemed to be coming at a great distance. Something that Hawkeye had said was floating just out of reach, something important.

Johnny’s hand grabbed her arm first, with Yosaku catching her other shoulder a moment later. They dragged her onto their ship, air filling her lungs.

Blood and water spluttered from her mouth as Sora still struggled to realise what it was that Hawkeye had said.

“Zoro!” Luffi’s voice shouted, sounding high and panicky from where she was positioned.

And then a new voice started to address her.

“My name is Dracule Mihawk. It’s too soon for you to die,” the rich tones of the swordsman filled the air.

“Discover yourself. See the world. And grow strong, Sora. However long it takes, I will wait at the top. Strive with your whole heart and mind to best this blade, fierce one! _Strive to surpass me, Roronoa Sora!_ ”

Finally, in the stunned aftermath of that speech, Sora realised what it had been that had been floating out of reach.

He had called her ‘girl’. He had seen that she was a girl. She had told him her real name – she hadn’t even considered giving him her fake name – and he had called her ‘Sora’.

And he hadn’t doubted her because of it. He had told her to strive to surpass him.

It didn’t matter what anyone else said. The greatest swordsman in the world thought it was possible for a girl to surpass him, if only she grew stronger, better.

Sora’s fingers slowly reached for her final sword, and then held in the air as high as she could.

“Zoro?” Usoppa asked. Sora registered she was there for the first time, although she was currently attempting first-aid on her damaged body.

“Lu… Luffi?” Sora called, struggling to make her voice as loud as possible. “Can you hear me?”

“I hear you!” Luffi answered immediately.

“Were you… worried?” Sora continued. “If I fail… to become the world’s greatest swordsman… you’ll be disappointed, right?!”

“Brother Zoro, save your breath!” Yosaku held her hand tightly for lack of anything else to do.

Sora felt blood still trickling from her mouth, but didn’t care.

“Never again! I… I will never… lose again!” Sora shrieked to Luffi, to Hawkeye, to the universe. “From now to the day I beat him and become the world’s greatest swords master… I will never… _LOSE AGAIN!_ ”

She took a moment to bring deep breaths into her bruised lungs. “Got a problem with that… King of the Pirates?!”

Sora couldn’t see her, but she was sure that Luffi had her broad smile on her face, just from the sound of her voice. “Not at all!”

Sora let her arm collapse again, but didn’t relax her grip on the sword.

“Usoppa!” Luffi shouted, leaning over the side of the boat. “Set sail!”

“Aye, aye, captain!” Usoppa shouted immediately. “Zoro and I will go after Namizo! You get that cook to join us!” The village girl liar grinned broadly, telling the truth for once. “Then we’ll sail for the Grand Line!”

“Right!” Luffi agreed as the boat sailed off. “I’ll meet you again soon!”

Sora tried to swallow, but her mouth was too dry. Her eyes started to flicker closed as the blood loss finally got to her and she fell unconscious.

**__ **

 


	6. “AAAAAIIIIIEEEEEEEE!”

**Chapter Six: “AAAAAIIIIIEEEEEEEE!”**

Somewhat to Sora’s surprise, Usoppa, Johnny and Yosaku never once seemed to notice she was a girl, even with her shirt and binder in shreds as they frantically tried first aid on her chest.

They had apparently been more focused on the fact that her chest was almost literally awash with blood. Her now-useless binder had stuck unnoticed to her shirt, soaked in red.

When Sora woke up, she’d found herself carefully if inexpertly bandaged. The dressings went around her chest, apparently naturally following a trail over her small breast. Johnny or Yosaku had put one of their shirts on her while she was unconscious, letting her avoid going shirtless. Sora didn’t know why, but she knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. She didn’t have any of her own shirts at the moment, let alone spare binders. Even if she hadn’t lost her other binders when she was arrested by marines a lifetime ago, Namizo had taken everything. Thankfully, however, the new wounds were the perfect excuse to be wearing bandages.

Sora hadn’t remembered how restrictive they had been before she found more effective ways of binding herself. Granted, though, she wasn’t entirely sure what limits were imposed by the bandages, what were from her wounds, and what were from the ropes that Usoppa and Johnny had tied to keep her still.

“At least untie me before you go!” Sora screamed in frustration as her two crewmates bailed overboard (Yosaku having gone to fetch Luffi once they found where Namizo was heading).

They ignored her.

Sora glanced up as new footsteps arrived on the boat.

“Huh. There’s only one man on board… and he’s tied up,” one of the fishmen said, inspecting her. “Did you get exiled or sommat?”

“Something like that,” Sora muttered, making a mental plot to kill Usoppa and Johnny the next time she saw them.

Within the hour she was dragged into the courtyard Johnny had described as ‘Arlong Park’.

“You know…” the fishman whom the park was named from said slowly, flicking open his pocket knife, “a human who’s defying a fishman is essentially just marking his own grave.”

There was a groan as a red-haired human boy walked up behind him. “I’m sick of that stupid theory of yours, Arlong,” Namizo said, folding his arms

“Ah, Namizo, you know you’re a special case,” Arlong said airily. “That brain of yours is perfect for cartography.”

“Cartography?” Sora repeated. “Namizo…”

“Do you know him?” Arlong asked.

“Met him. Didn’t know him that well,” Namizo took a step forwards, kneeling next to the tied up girl. “Robbed him of some treasure and a ship. I knew he was following, but I didn’t think he’d make it this far.”

Namizo smiled wickedly. “I was already a pirate when we met. Surprised?”

“Very,” Sora said darkly.

Arlong burst into laughter. “Ah, that’s our Namizo. Betrayal is second nature to him! He even forgave the death of a parent for money!”

Namizo’s face tightened.

Sora frowned, glancing at the pool behind her tied arms. Her theory was risky, but she couldn’t forget the boy who she’d shared a room, a ship and a family with since they’d met.

With a sudden burst of effort, Sora threw herself backwards into the pool.

She was worried that the fishmen would jump in after her… but after a full minute of holding her breath, her worry shifted to the idea that Namizo _wouldn’t_. She couldn’t swim tied up like this, even if she wasn’t badly wounded.

And then, to her relief, a distinctively human hand with no webs curled around her arm. Namizo yanked Sora to the air.

Sora took a deep breath as Namizo threw her to the ground. “You moron. There’s no future in you still being here. Scram.”

Sora only smirked. “Now why would such a cold hearted traitor have trouble letting one man die?”

Namizo stamped his foot into her hand, and then yanked her to her feet. “Don’t you ever talk back to me again…”

He trailed off as he realised that he’d yanked up the shirt belonging to either Johnny or Yosaku, revealing the bottom of the reddening cloth across her torso. “So many bandages…”

“I ran out of clothes.”

 Namizo slapped her as hard as he could across the face, following up with an impressive right-hook. Sora stumbled, falling backwards.

She was only semi-conscious as she hit the ground. The fall jolted her wounds, making her gasp in pain. Stars danced across her eyes.

“What should we do with him, Namizo?” a fishman’s voice asked.

“Throw him in a cell,” Namizo said dismissively. “I’ll deal with him later.”

New footsteps echoed into the hall as one of the flunkies raced in. “Arlong!”

“What is it, comrade?” Arlong asked, turning to the newcomer.

“The girl with the long nose got away!”

_Usoppa_ , Sora thought, cringing as a fresh ache twisted from the deep slash in her chest. _They found her, too_.

From her position on the floor, she couldn’t be sure, but she thought that Namizo’s face tightened, if only for a moment.

“I think she got to Cocoyashi Village-” the scout continued his report.

“Cocoyashi?” Arlong repeated. There was something sinister underlying the fishman’s amusement, but then that was there in every word he’d said. “What a coincidence. I happen to have business there.”

He got to his feet. Dismissively he walked past where Sora was still lying gasping on the ground. “I’m sick of seeing this vermin here. Someone throw him in the prison. Namizo’s already claimed him, but there’s no reason to leave him here for now.”

Sora glared at him as he walked past. She wanted to make him pay for that, but not only was she tied up and badly injured, but she didn’t have any swords. Any attack would probably end badly.

 She’d just made up her mind to try anyway, but before she got a chance an unnaturally strong arm yanked her upwards. The fishman threw her over his shoulder, forcing her to repress a gasp as her injury was hit, and carried her through a small door.

Sora was dropped unceremoniously on the ground. She managed to bite back a yelp, but couldn’t stop her face from screwing up at the impact.

The fishman checked the tightness of the ropes that were still binding her hands together, and then left, slamming the door locked behind him.

For a few moments Sora wrestled with the bonds around her wrists. If she’d been at full strength she’d have no trouble breaking them. Unfortunately, she really, really wasn’t.

Theorising that a nap would probably fix her up enough to escape – and even if that didn’t work, there was very little else to do – Sora let her eyes close.

They flashed open again barely a minute later. Footsteps were coming – light ones that those heavy fish-freaks would never manage to pull off.

Namizo darted into view, looking over his shoulder nervously as he approached the cell. Sora opened her mouth to ask, before closing it again. The arguably-traitorous navigator had brought the white blade that had once belonged to Kuina.

He unlocked the door and slipped in, his steps ghosting over the floor. “Can you walk?”

Sora was silent for a moment, judging the boy. “Yeah,” she said finally.

“Good.” Namizo dropped the sword in her lap and knelt down next to her bound hands. Pulling out a dagger from his shirt, he cleanly sliced through the ropes.

“What are you doing?” Sora asked him, glancing at the shredded ropes now in his hand.

Namizo ignored her question, moving over to the open cell door. “Hurry up! You’ve got to get out of here before Arlong comes back!”

Sora got to her feet. Her knees buckled and she felt a little dizzy from bloodloss, but she was fairly sure she remained steady. “What’s going on?”

“Shut up!” Namizo snapped at her. “The fishmen are at Cocoyashi Village. Go west and you’ll find the _Going Merry_ without going near them. Hurry!”

“But…”

Namizo didn’t give her a chance to say anything more, darting out of the cell. Sora watched as he ran from sight.

 “Huh…” The swordsman felt her face twitch in a smile. “So he’s not all bad…” Maybe their captain had a point after all.

She shrugged and picked up her sword, heading straight towards Arlong Park.

There were several fishmen in there. What with Sora’s wounds, only a single sword left and the fishmen outnumbering her, plus being far stronger than a natural human… the battle was almost a challenge.

Sora relaxed on one of the large chairs. “Well… I guess I promised Luffy that I’ll bring him back, so I’ll have to bring him back.”

_Broobroo!_

Sora got to her feet at the trumpet-like sound, curiously climbing over the side of the wall to have a look.

An octopus fishman was standing there, peering out to sea.

“Did you just blow a trumpet?”

“Yah!” the fishman jumped. He stared around to see Sora looking down on him. “Oh. Hi. Yes. I did. I’m Haachi.” Haachi paused and looked at her. “You know, I think I’ve seen you before. Are you with the marines or a guest?”

“I suppose I’m a guest,” Sora said with a shrug. It was more accurate than claiming to be a marine.

“But Arlong’s not here,” the octopus-fishman said. “He’s off chasing this long-nosed intruder girl.”

_Usoppa_ , Sora mentally sighed. _Better go save her._ “How do I get there?”

Haachi tapped the small pod next to him. “Hop in. I’ll give you a lift.”

“Okay…” Sora hesitantly got in. They were halfway out to sea before it occurred to her it might be a trap.

It wasn’t.

“Thanks for the lift… I guess,” Sora said, walking out onto the dock.

“No problem! Come visit again soon!” Haachi said, moving back out.

Sora shrugged, walking into the village. She caught the nearest man by the back of the arm. “Sorry, could you tell me if a friend of mine is anywhere here? She’s got black hair and a long nose…”

 “Oh, yeah. Her.” The man screwed up his face. “Tried to start a fight with the fishmen. Last I saw, they were taking her to Arlong Park.”

“Great. I just missed her,” Sora muttered. “Thanks.”

“Aaaaah!”

_Crash!_

Sora turned on her heel and began to run towards the new sound.

She hadn’t been with the Straw Hat pirates for very long, but it had taken her about two hours after seeing Luffi run for the marine fort to figure out investigating explosions was a good idea.

_Screech!_

“AAAAAIIIIIEEEEEEEE!”

“Did someone drop a bomb or something?” Sora muttered, cutting away plants with an easy swipe as she raced to the area in question.

It wasn’t a bomb. It was a boat, skidding through the forest.

“Oh! Zoro!” Luffi shouted, waving from her position on the deck.

“ _What?!_ ”

Sora rolled her eyes as the boat sailed past, then stared to run after it, heading through the flattened path of destruction.

_Crack!_

The boat smashed onto a huge rock.

“Everyone okay?” Sora stopped, doing a headcount of those who made it off the boat. Yosaku, Luffi and… Sanae.

Sanae still had one eye completely covered by her long blonde hair, but now her hair was tied in a ponytail. She’d switched her miniskirt and blouse for more practical pants, boots and a midriff revealing shirt.

“Yeah, we’re good!” Luffi said cheerily, adjusting her straw hat back onto her head. “Where’s Usoppa and Johnny?”

“Usoppa’s about to be killed,” Sora said sharply. She rolled her eyes. “If the explosion wasn’t because of her, she’s back in Arlong Park. Come on, we’d better hurry before-”

“It’s too late.”

Johnny was limping towards them. “It’s too late,” he repeated. “Sister Usoppa was murdered… by Brother Namizo.”

“ _What?!_ ”

“It’s true. I saw it,” Johnny whispered. “Namizo killed-”

Luffi grabbed him by the shirt, yanking the injured man upwards. She bundled a fist beneath his nose. “Say it one more time and I’ll kick your ass!”

“Luffi, it’s not like Johnny’s the one-” Sora began, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“He’s making up crap about Namizo! He’s our crewmate!” Luffi shouted in anger.

“I saw it with my own eyes…” Johnny protested.

“We’re not crewmates.”

Everyone present spun around to see Namizo leaning against the nearest tree, scowling at them. “What did you even come here for?”

“You’re our navigator,” Luffi said, looking blankly at him. “Why wouldn’t we come?”

“You’re a nuisance,” Namizo told her in a growl, twirling his long stick in his fingers. “We’re _not_ crewmates. I co-operated with you to steal your money.”

Luffi blinked at him.

Sanae waved wildly, her eyes alight. “Namizo! Do you remember me? Let’s set sail together!”

Sora gave her a disgusted look. “Are you _serious_?”

Sanae smiled widely at her. “You can come too, Zoro!”

“ _I will not!_ Stop being an idiot and act seriously!”

Sora was started to feel satisfied every time she wiped the lovestruck look off Sanae’s face. “Don’t you know that love is a hurricane?!” Sanae snapped back.

“He’s a bastard!” Johnny screamed, pointing at Namizo. “He’ll kill and betray us just to get his hands on some treasure! I saw him stab Usoppa!” Yosaku immediately walked to stand beside his partner.

Namizo’s mouth twitched in a smile. “So? You wanna avenge her?”

“Where is she?” Luffi asked.

Namizo considered the question. “At the bottom of the ocean.”

“I’ve had enough of you!” Sora snapped, drawing her final sword and charging at the boy.

“Don’t you dare!” Sanae snapped, spinning around and kicking her in the stomach.

Sora had never really seen Sanae kick before. She tumbled backwards, winded from the unexpected force that had just impacted on her.

All of a sudden, Sanae was next to her, the flirtatious look that Sora was learning to dread back on her face. “Oh, I’m sorry, but I couldn’t let you start fighting with Namizo. You’re both too cute… although he’s cuter…” Sanae mumbled as an afterthought.

“He just murdered one of our crewmates!” Sora shouted, jumping to her feet. “And I know that you’re the new girl and all, but you should probably be aware that’s not something we just forgive!”

A flicker of a frown crossed Sanae’s face, before she smiled sweetly. Her expression seemed more designed to nettle Sora than anything else. “Still sore after your crushing defeat? I know a delicious recipe for a meal after a loss.”

 “Watch your tongue before I separate you from it,” Sora warned.

“This is not the time to be arguing!” Yosaku snapped.

“He’s right, you know,” Namizo took several steps towards them. “Don’t you get it? _I only stayed for the money!_ And now I’ve got that so I don’t give a damn about you! If you want the ship so badly, you can take it back! Go get a new navigator!”

Luffi sat down cross legged. “I’m not going anywhere!” she said flatly.

Namizo clenched his fists. “Fine!” he burst out. “Do whatever you want! Stay here and get killed!”

He turned and stormed off.

“I have no wish to die,” Yosaku admitted.

“Me neither,” Johnny agreed. “We will go soon. Brother Zoro… Sisters Luffi and Sanae, if you wish to survive, you will come with us.”

“Pass,” Sora waved it aside. “See you guys later.”

The two bounty hunters looked doubtful, but they walked off.

“How long are going to sit there?” Sora asked Luffi.

“Until Namizo comes back!” Luffi snapped.

“’Kay.”

Sanae sat down, resting beneath a tree. She reached into the pockets of her long black pants, pulling out a new cigarette. “Do you think Namizo did kill Usoppa?”

“Who knows,” Sora sighed, sitting on the other side to her. “She didn’t really seem that trustworthy.”

“Untrustworthy?!” Sanae repeated, her voice rising. “Do you really think that someone as handsome as he is could ever be untrustworthy?!”

“What do looks have to do with anything?!” Sora replied sharply. “Just because he’s a guy, you think he’s automatically Prince Charming or something?!”

“Of course!”

“You’re delusional!”

“Guys! You’re alive!” a girl’s voice cried in delight as a black-haired figure raced onto the beach.

“And… so are you,” Sora said to Usoppa, frowning.

“I was worried you’d gone back to Arlong’s…” Usoppa looked at Sora, and then glanced at Luffi in relief. “Oh, good. You got here too.”

“I feel obligated to mention I’m here too,” Sanae said, raising a hand. “Hi. I’m Sanae. I guess I’m the cook on this crew now.”

“Hi. Usoppa. Sniper,” Usoppa said dismissively. “Anyway, it’s Namizo. He saved my life. There has to be some reason why he joined Arlong’s crew, and I don’t think it’s just money.”

“Probably,” Sora nodded. “He at least _tried_ to save mine too. I didn’t need it, but there’s definitely a reason behind it.”

“Maybe it’s because he’s such a prince that it’s just in his nature to put his life on the line to rescue people…” Sanae said dreamily, the smoke from her cigarette coming up in heart shapes.

“Are you really calling Namizo a prince?” a woman asked, stepping onto the beach.

“Nojiko?” Usoppa cocked her head to the side.

“Who’s that?” Luffi asked her.

“Namizo’s sister.”

“Are you saying your brother isn’t a prince?” Sanae countered, glaring at the girl.

Nojiko’s lips twitched. “I’d say hero more than prince, but whatever works.”

“Why?” Sora asked.

“I’ll tell you, but then you have to leave, okay?”

**_ X _ **

_‘So, he promised never to cry again, and has never asked anyone for help since._ ’

Sora felt her blood boil as she saw Namizo curled up on the ground, tears running down his face.

He grabbed at the tattoo marking him as owned by Arlong. The red-haired boy sobbed, his other hand scrambling for the knife he had left abandoned on the road. Then he stabbed it into his shoulder as hard as he could, pulling back and stabbing again. Blood covered the ink but there was no chance of removing it.

Luffi’s hand caught his arm.

“Get off!” Namizo shouted, pushing her away. He looked up at her desperately. “You don’t know anything!”

“Not a thing.”

“I told you to go!”

“You did.”

“Luffi, you…” Namizo sobbed as a fresh wave of tears overcame him. “Please. Help me.”

Luffi silently pulled her straw hat off her head, putting it neatly onto Namizo’s. “Okay.”

It took a moment for Namizo to remember Luffi screaming at Buggy for ruining it, for him to remember her saying it was her most treasured possession, to remember painstakingly sewing it up again after he joined the crew. “L…Luffi…”

Luffi silently took several steps away, looking at the girls she had on her crew, even if one was disguised as a male. “Let’s go.”

“Aye, aye, captain,” Sanae said, as Usoppa got to her feet and Sora unsheathed her sword.

They left Namizo in the road, watching them with amazement and gratitude as they calmly walked up the road.

“ _What do you mean_ , you won’t let us in?!” an angry villager shouted as they approached.

“You can’t win,” Yosaku said flatly.

Johnny’s eyes lit up. “But they can.”

“You going to let _us_ in?” Sanae asked, barely slowly her walk.

“Of course, Sister Cook,” Johnny said in surprise, as if the idea of stopping  them never crossed his mind.

 “Stand back,” Luffi warned, drawing back her fist.

The gates of Arlong Park exploded.

The group of fishmen spun around to see the pirates standing outside their walls.

“Who here is Arlong?” Luffi asked, her black hair fluttering without the hat to hold it down.

“…I am,” the lead fishman got to his feet. “Who wants to know?”

“Luffi, the pirate,” Luffi took another few steps closer. None of the fishmen moved in her way, assuming a teenage girl couldn’t do anything.

That theory was thrown aside when Luffi punched him as hard as she could. Arlong flew several metres, crashing through the walls.

“ _What?!_ ”

“Don’t you dare,” Luffi hissed, her voice more deadly than any of her crew had ever heard, “make my navigator cry.”

“You little-!” a fishman screamed in rage as he and his brethren ran for her.

“This isn’t your fight,” Sanae said sharply, kicking out as hard as she could. Around her, fishmen fell beneath her brutal kicks. The few that she missed dropped to the ground, bleeding from their new sword wounds as Sora followed, a little behind.

“Running in headfirst… not the best idea,” Sanae said as she caught up to her new captain.

“It’s not like I’m going to lose.”

“Did I say I was worried about you?” Sanae snorted. “I meant, don’t hog it all for yourself.”

“I don’t m-mind either way, Luffi!” Usoppa stuttered from the back, her voice shaking.

“Feeling brave today?” Sora asked sarcastically.

“ _Roronoa Zoro!_ ” a fishman whispered.

“Long nose is still alive?!” another hissed.

Arlong cracked his knuckles. “Pirates… so that’s how you’re all connected.” He smiled wickedly. “So your goal was to get Namizo? Well, that was doomed to fail. What can four measly humans do – and three of them girls, at that?”

Only one of the fishmen noticed that the one male on the team was the only one to take offense, pulling his lips up into a snarl. The girls ignored it.

“As if Arlong would fight you!” Haachi shouted. He cupped his hands around his elongated mouth. “Come on out, MooMoo!”

_Splash!_

“It’s that monster again!” Usoppa whispered, shaking.

“You know that thing?” Sora asked, looking at what looked like a cow that melded into a tail and was approximately the size of Krieg’s flagship.

The monster roared, leaping towards them.

“Follow MooMoo’s lead!” one of the fishmen cried.

“Yeah!”

“Go for it!”

“You handle these time-wasters,” Luffi said sharply. “I’ll get Arlong.”

“Fine by me,” Sora pulled out her sword, wishing as she did that she had all three. It just didn’t feel _right_ to only have one.

“Alright,” Sanae smirked. “You take the fishmen, I’ll take the hippo?”

“Fine.” Sora spun her sword and ran for the henchmen.

Sanae looked at the giant monster, judging the weak points. Then she leapt into the air, spinning.

She was mid-air and almost upside down when her powerful kick slammed into the jaw of the monster.

It fell backwards. Sanae landed easily on the ground as it hissed from the water. “One more time, huh?”

She took a step backwards, and then ran. Pushing herself off the ground was easy, and the heel of her foot hit MooMoo right between the eyes.

MooMoo let out a roar of pain and ducked under the water. Sanae paused for a moment on the shore, watching as it completely left the battle.

She calmly walked towards where Zoro was fighting off the fishmen, his blade flashing.

She chewed the side of her cheek, considering.

Well, he was annoying… but he was also cute. And if there was one thing Sanae loved, it was a cute prince charming.

She waited for the fishman that was running towards her to get another metre closer, and then let out her best piercing scream. “AAAAAIIIIIEEEEEEEE! _Help_!”

Sora’s head spun around. It took a split second for the image to register – of Sanae standing eerily still as the fishman drew back his fist.

She pushed aside her current opponent and raced forwards, weaving between Sanae and the fishman.

Her blade cut deep into flesh. The fishman gurgled, falling backwards.

Sanae smiled at her. She did her best attempt at a curtsey with pants on. “Thank you. My hero.”

Sora stopped to look at her, frowning.

There was something off about her thanks… she looked pleased, but not the sort of gratitude someone really looked if their life had just been saved.

Sanae counted to three, decided that her crewmate really hadn’t noticed the knife coming towards them, and then slammed her foot into the upcoming fishman as hard as she could. Then she twisted around to kick both of the attackers behind her at once.

Sora’s sword spun out, piercing the leg of the final fishman. He collapsed in agony.

“Well, that was fun. Thanks for saving me,” Sanae said with a flirtatious smile.

Sora stared at her in dawning rage. Her mind flashed through the scenes – of Sanae easily fighting in situations worse than the one she had rescued her from, of Sanae standing still to _let_ the upcoming punch happen, of the slightly off thanks she had given. “You… you didn’t need me to, did you?!” the swordsman said slowly, her voice rising.

Sanae smiled widely at her. “Of course I did.”

“No… no, you really didn’t,” Sora said through gritted teeth.

Sanae’s lips twitched. “Okay, maybe I didn’t _need_ you to save me. But I wanted you to,” she admitted.

“ _Why?_ ”

“Because I’m a girl.”

For a moment Sora could only stare at her incredulously. **_“WHAT?!”_**

Sanae didn’t get a chance to say anything before Sora continued, pacing angrily. “You have got to be kidding me! You’re perpetuating the stereotype that girls can’t save themselves, which just makes it harder for any girl to every try to prove herself to the world! You’re showing that girls are weaker than men. Men don’t tend to differentiate – they’ll see you as a representative of every girl, and an example that girls are weak, just because you’re _acting_ weak when you’re not even that, and they’ll assume that _every single girl_ is like you!”

“But… it _is_ every girl’s dream to be rescued by a prince,” Sanae said, frowning.

Sora’s eyes narrowed.

She really _didn’t_ want to be rescued. Her dream was to be the world’s greatest swordsman, not a damsel in distress!

“You… you _can’t_ be serious. The dream that made you decide to join this crew was so that you can be _rescued by a prince?!_ ”

“No,” Sanae folded her arms, glaring. “I’m allowed to do more than one thing, aren’t I? Getting rescued is not going to _stop_ me from finding All Blue.”

Sora had no idea what All Blue was, and didn’t really care either. “Fine, but I can guarantee you, _not every girl_ wants to be rescued! Plenty of them, in fact, have their dreams _crushed_ because of that stupid stereotype that women can’t be strong, a stereotype that is not helped by _fools like you_ who scream for help at every opportunity!”

Sanae found herself at a loss for words.

She’d grown up on fantasy stories. She’d read about fair maidens who were imprisoned in towers until their heroes could rescue them, of beautiful princesses who rode off into the sunset with their prince, of girls who had every trouble melt away once they met the man who would save them.

Even at Baratie, she’d had nothing to disprove her claim. She’d seen women in their finest, walking into the restaurant on the arms of their men. She’d seen handsome men reach for their wallets and pay for the woman’s meal, and elaborate proposals that had sent the women into flurries of delight as if their every dream had just come true.

She’d also seen the stories in which the villains were men. She’d seen male pirates try to ransack the restaurant, her home, and learnt how to fight them. Chef Zeff had taught her to defend herself with the kicks… Patty and Carne had showed her a way to break the fingers of a boy whose hand wandered where it shouldn’t… but she’d always, always still wanted the sort of happiness she had seen on the faces of women escorted by their prince.

But right now in front of her, was a guy who was point blank _shrieking_ at her for it. Sanae felt herself scowl. She was not going to be changing her mind just because one guy disagreed with her.

“I’ll try to keep that in mind,” she said flatly.

Sora snarled. “You’d better.”

“Uh, guys?” Usoppa interrupted nervously, hiding behind them.

“ _What?!_ ” both snapped, turning to look at her.

“We’ve got trouble…”

Three fishmen officers were staring at the arguing pirates, looking bemused.

“Oh, don’t stop, chu, on our account,” said the Japanese-Whiting Fish-Type fishman. “Humans fighting is always so, chu, amusing.”

Sora sighed. “Right.”

She gave a harsh look at Sanae. “You think you can take care of one of these without begging the nearest _big, strong man_ to come out and save you?”

Sanae scowled. “I think I can manage that,” she muttered.

Sora pointed her sword at the three fishmen officers. “Fine. Then let’s do this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a disclaimer, the views portrayed by the characters do not necessarily represent the views of the author. Feminism is about women having the right to do as they want, whether that is the damsel in distress or the knight in shining armour or not being in a fairy-tale at all. I also don’t advocate following in Sanae’s example and screaming for help when you are capable of dealing with the situation yourself, possibly endangering yourself and the other.
> 
> On another note, reviews are always appreciated.


	7. “Betrayed By Her Own Internal Organs and Left to Her Final Breaths."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bleh. I was posting on FF.N and I forgot to update here. So have a spam of chapters.

**_  
_ **

**Chapter Seven: “Betrayed by her own internal organs and left to her final breaths.”**

The wounds Hawkeye had inflicted had been more restrictive than she had expected. Granted, they’d also turned out to be less restrictive than anyone else had thought, but the basic first aid Usoppa had given was, while welcome, not enough, evidenced by them opening again in her battle.

But after they saved the island, the doctor at Namizo’s village was more than willing to do it over properly. Luffi had offered to stay with her, but Sora had refused. It might have been nice to have company, but even Luffi probably wasn’t oblivious enough to miss the fact she was female if Sora pulled her shirt off.

More than just stitching her up again, the doctor had agreed not to tell anyone she was a girl. Sora still felt uneasy about it, but her rudimentary first aid skills weren’t good enough for her to turn down an actual doctor.

Unfortunately, apparently the fishmen had banned any weapons and the island had no swords to replace the two Hawkeye broke.

She picked up a mug of beer, taking a deep swig of it.

“Pass me the chicken?” Sanae asked her, trying to reach around the swordsman.

“Huh? Oh, sure.” Sora calmly picked up the chicken and handed it over.

“Thanks,” Sanae took the plate. She expertly ripped off a drumstick with practised chef’s fingers, and then bit into it neatly. “It’s nice to be able to just eat.”

“I guess.”

“So why’d you freak out about the rescue thing anyway?” Sanae asked, chewing.

Sora felt her fingers clench at the reminder. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Fine. Don’t. Just don’t stop me,” Sanae countered.

“Don’t ask for help unless you need it,” Sora snapped.

“… I won’t ask _you_ , that’s for sure,” Sanae muttered.

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

Just like that, the argument was brushed away. Neither would apologise, but they didn’t want to keep the anger there, not with the grudging respect they’d both developed for the other during that battle.

After Sanae had successfully defeated the rayfish fishman and proceeded to rescue Luffi when Sora had been incapacitated, the swordsman had almost forgotten the incident. 

Sanae, for her part, had been impressed with the sheer resilience of Zoro. She’d heard of his reputation, and while she doubted every rumour was true – she could already rule out the kill-with-one-glance one – there was no denying how strong he was. The fact that he could still _stand_ after Hawkeye was an achievement, let alone the fact that he had still fought (even if the part of her mind not swooning over it thought that it had been _stupid_ to attempt).

They weren’t really going to forgive each other, but were willing to forget the argument. It was an understanding.

Luffi had disappeared somewhere. Usoppa was busy telling the tale of how she had fought to a gaggle of admiring villagers. Johnny and Yosaku were dancing to the music. Namizo was talking to his sister, a broad smile on his face as he rubbed his new tattoo across his shoulder.

The atmosphere was festive and the pirates were treated as heroes. No-one really wanted to leave, but the Grand Line beckoned.     

The day of departure, all of Namizo’s village and half the island turned out to wave them off.

Johnny and Yosaku were staying back for a few days before leaving for their own journeys. Sora had paused to talk to the bounty hunters who she could probably count as friends, and wished them luck.

“So what’s the hold up?” the green-haired crossdresser asked, climbing into the ship.

“Namizo’s not coming,” Usoppa frowned.

“What?! He’s not really staying behind, is he?!” Sanae said, her eyes widening.

“Set sail!” a familiar male voice shouted.

The Straw Hats glanced over to see a red-haired figure running as fast as he could from the other side of the street.

“Um…” Usoppa glanced around.

“Well, he said set sail, so…” Luffi shrugged. “I guess we’d better set sail. Raise the sails!”

  “Aye, aye, cap’n!” Sora grinned, tugging on the sheets. The boat sail began to fill with air.

“Wait, he can’t leave without saying goodbye!” one of the villagers cried.

“After everything he did for-”

“Namizo, at least let us-”

“They’re taking off!”

The _Going Merry_ was indeed sailing slowly from the dock.

“You reckon he can catch on from this far?” Sora asked, judging the distance as she made the ship slow to a crawl.

“Of course he can!” Sanae snapped defensively. “He can probably jump mountains, he’s so handsome!”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Wait!”

  “Namizo!”

 “You can’t go!”

The navigator pushed to the side of the dock and kicked off as hard as he could. For a moment he flew through the air, before landing safely on the deck.

Namizo let a slow smile cross his face, and then lifted up his shirt.

A stream of wallets fluttered down from his clothes. The confusion of the villagers turned to shock and anger in a moment.

“Take care, everyone!” Namizo said teasingly, not noticing Sanae blatantly ogling his bare chest.

“ _You rotten thief!_ ”

“He hasn’t changed a bit,” Usoppa muttered.

“He might betray us again…” Sora said, frowning.

Sanae smiled widely at him. “Great job, Namizo!”

Luffi just laughed at the annoyed calls coming from the village, listening as they turned into heartfelt goodbyes and send offs and requests for them to come back soon.

“I will!” Namizo shouted, pure delight on his face as he waved. “I’ll see you all one day! I promise!”

**_ X _ **

“Morning,” Namizo muttered as he got out of bed.

Sora lifted a hand in greeting, not bothering to talk. Neither of the two roommates were overly cheery in the mornings, which worked fine for them.

As a matter of fact, Sora didn’t mind mornings that much. She woke up several times through the day anyway, and morning wasn’t much different from an afternoon awakening.

However, the ache radiating from her stomach – or more accurately, her uterus – gave the first indication that today would not be a good day.

Sora waited impatiently for Namizo to get dressed, but finally the navigator left the boys’ room. The green-haired girl dropped to the ground and started digging through her small chest of drawers.

After a few minutes searching for tampons, it occurred to her that she was pretty sure she didn’t have any on the ship. She hadn’t thought to stock up since she’d joined the crew. 

The female swordsman felt her heart climb into her throat as she dug through her stuff again, finally dumping it all out.

 _Nothing_.

A few minutes later, fully dressed, Sora tapped Namizo on the shoulder.

“Huh?”

“When are we reaching the next island?” she asked, making sure her voice was as deep as it could be.

“Um… three days if this wind holds up,” Namizo glanced at the billowing sails, and then at the direction it was coming from. “Although I’d say that the wind’s going to die down for a bit, so probably a bit longer. Why?”

“Just wondering,” Sora waved it aside, fighting down her nervousness.

After a moment she stopped and shook her head. She was being stupid. There were three other girls on the ship, and to the best of her knowledge they all got periods.  Presumably at least one would be prepared.

She checked around. Usoppa was currently putting together some of her slingshot weaponry. A clatter of dishes and a delicious smell from the galley said that Sanae was cooking breakfast.

And Luffi… Luffi was lying in bed, still asleep.

Sora hesitated on the outside of the girl’s dorm, debating. Luffi would get up the minute breakfast was ready (no-one was quite sure how she knew when it was done), but if Sora waited until then, there’d be another half hour or so while they actually had breakfast. And from the uncomfortable feeling against her legs, she needed something _now_.

Easing open the door, Sora darted in. Her feet were as light as she could make them, which wasn’t very. All things considered, she had never really needed to learn _stealth_.

Sora quietly crept over to the hammock furthest from Luffi, which was Sanae’s. Quietly, she started to pull through her stuff, rummaging past the practical fighting outfits to miniskirts that would be barely long enough to qualify as clothes to a crinkled-but-well-maintained white chef’s hat.

There were several packets of tampons and pads three drawers down, tucked neatly beside several stored boxes of cigarettes. Sora took four of the packets, estimating they would be enough to last her until they reached port. Sanae may notice them missing, but was highly unlikely to blame ‘Zoro’.

Straightening up, Sora slipped Sanae’s drawers shut with a soft _click_.

Then in an instant she dropped to the ground, lying flat.

Luffi sprung out of bed, almost tripping over the hammock in an effort to get out. She flung a hand to the door and used the _gum-gum rocket_ move to slingshot out of the room.

Sora took a second to watch in case she came back.

“Breakfast!” Sanae’s voice rang out over the ship.

Once again, Sora wondered how Luffi knew exactly when breakfast would be ready. It was probably her sense of smell, but she was the only person she knew who could detect the difference between _almost, almost_ ready and done. The odd thing was if Luffi was already conscious she rarely waited for food to finish cooking.

As unobtrusively as she could manage, Sora darted off to the ship’s toilets, before going back into the boy’s room and shoving the stolen pads in her chest of drawers.

Breakfast was as noisy as always. Luffi expressed her disgust with the vegetarian options, while Sanae tried to stop her from stealing every piece of meat available in order to give it to Namizo and ‘Zoro’. Sora was pleased to note that Sanae seemed to push more towards Namizo, although that might have been because she was able to fight for her own if she wanted it. Usoppa made do with the oatmeal, choosing not to fight for meat.

After breakfast, the crew split up to do their various activities. Sora curled up in the sunlight, yawning as she sleepily started to plan her next training session in an hour.

Her developing nap was cut short by a groan.

Sora glanced over to where Usoppa was lying. The sniper had a couple pieces of equipment spread around her, presumably to make improvements on them, but instead was curled up in the middle of them. Usoppa’s hand clutched around her abdomen and she was whimpering.

“You okay?”

“Hmm?” Usoppa glanced up at her pitifully. “No. I’m dying. Alas, this is the end of the brave Captain Usoppa, betrayed by her own internal organs and left to her final breaths as-”

“Could you die quietly then? I’m trying to sleep,” Sora grumbled.

Usoppa glowered. She made to sit up, before a stabbing pain made her curl up again. “Excuse me? You don’t care?”

“Not at all. Get over it.”

“Men,” Usoppa tried to scoff, her head thudding against the deck of the _Merry_. “You have no idea what pain it is to suffer through a menstrual cycle.”

Sora glanced at Usoppa, one side of her mouth twitching upwards. “Heh. Be that as it may, I _do_ know what it feels like to have a sword stabbed through my body.” The swordsman gestured at her single unbroken sword, resting within easy distance of her hand. “If you want to compare which is worse I’ll give you a hand with that.”

Usoppa shut her mouth immediately. She didn’t actually believe her crewmate would stab her without real provocation, but she didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks either. Besides, now she thought about it, she was fairly certain that ‘Zoro’ did have an idea of how much it hurt.

Sora smirked, adjusting her position slightly. “Go steal some chocolate from the kitchen or something. I hear that helps.”

Usoppa mumbled something incoherent, pressing her face into the ship again.

“Whatever. If you’re going to stay, keep it down.” Sora closed her eyes.

Usoppa didn’t think that would be a problem. Her plans for the next hour or so was to lie curled up like she was now, and had no real intention of making a noise.

Across the deck, Namizo was climbing up towards the crow’s nest. Ostensibly, he was there to work on his maps, but really cartography only required a view if there were landmarks instead of open ocean. In all honesty, what he was doing was closer to hiding.

Normally, the fact that three of his crewmates were girls didn’t really matter. But in the past few days, they’d found one significant shared event. Namizo had fitted the pieces together and decided that he’d make himself scarce until he knew better how everyone dealt with it.

Luffi had proved to be not that bad, or rather, Luffi didn’t affect Namizo. The captain had instead seemed to triple her attempted raids into the kitchen, which was Sanae’s problem.

Usoppa wasn’t the problem either, really. She’d spent an hour curled up on the deck yesterday before getting up and continuing her work. From what Namizo could see in his vantage point, she planned a repeat performance.

Namizo doubted it hurt as much as Usoppa claimed. He vividly remembered Nojiko as a twelve year old throwing up. Namizo had to help her into her bed, listening to his sister moan from what she described as rusty nails jabbing into her stomach. As Usoppa hadn’t demonstrated these same symptoms, Namizo was fairly certain she was exaggerating. Not that he’d admit it. Usoppa was far from Nojiko, but Namizo had been on the receiving ends of one too many ‘ _you have no idea what it feels like don’t you dare laugh or I will make your life a misery_ ’ lectures for him to risk it.

But really, the only actual problem was Sanae. Namizo wouldn’t have thought the cook even _could_ flirt more than she already did, but yesterday she had gone off the charts. She’d actually started following him yesterday like a puppy spouting prose. Namizo had ended up snapping at her to leave him alone.

Much to Namizo’s horror, Sanae’s eyes had started to water. She’d muttered something like an apology and had fled to the kitchen, leaving the startled navigator behind.

He’d ended up apologising a few minutes later, and Sanae had beamed at him and promised that he could never hurt her.

Of course, Sanae had later started crying because the entire crew was stupid – Namizo couldn’t blame her for that one – and later still almost cried because the cake she was cooking wouldn’t be done for twenty minutes.

The long and the short of it was, Namizo no longer felt particularly guilty over making her cry, but wanted to avoid the situation again if he could. Zoro had slept through the whole thing yesterday. _He_ could deal with her today.

With the navigator in hiding and the rest of the crew having various degrees of hormonal imbalances, it was almost surprising that they got through several hours without any real conflicts. Luffi continued her raids on the kitchen, but when Sanae burst into tears (that didn’t happen to interfere with the severity of her kicks) the captain immediately apologised and retreated, giving the cook a few hours reprieve.

The rest was kinda nice. Even Luffi ended up being quiet – after leaving the kitchen, she ended up sitting on the sheep’s head figurehead and staring out to sea, grinning as she contemplated the adventures they were going to have once they reached the Grand Line.

Finally, at around midday, Sanae stepped out onto the balcony and whistled. “Lunch!”

Luffi bounded off the figurehead. She tripped over Sora, who was trying to dispel cramps by push-ups, and barely faltered in her scramble for the kitchen.

Sora grimaced but stood up anyway. Usoppa ran ahead, apparently over her ‘dying’ stage. Namizo stayed up in the crow’s nest, debating whether or not to go down.

Sanae stuck her foot out as Luffi hurtled through the door. The captain sprawled on the ground.

“Wait for everyone else before you start inhaling everything, would you?” the blonde grumbled, pressing one of her boots down onto the younger girl’s back.

“But it smells so good!” Luffi whined.

The slightest hint of a smile crept over Sanae’s face. She was well aware of how good a cook she was, but it was still nice to be appreciated.

Her smile dropped off as she realised Luffi had grabbed one of the plates on the table, her arm stretching impossibly long to catch it. “Hands off!” A black boot kicked into the rubberwoman’s elbow, not hard enough to break bones but enough to bruise anyone else, and Luffi sulkily released the plate.

Usoppa faltered at the door, finding the way blocked by Sanae and Luffi. She stood still, debating what to do for a few moments, before a rough hand pushed her from the back as Sora grew impatient. The sniper stumbled inside as Sora entered.

Sanae’s eyes lit up as she saw her. “Hi, Zoro!”

Sora’s expression instantly darkened. It was a glare that had on several occasions made low-bounty pirates instantly surrender, and higher-ranked pirates shake. Sanae was unintimidated, but it successfully made her smile lessen.

The cook took her foot off Luffi’s back. The captain almost immediately bounded to her feet, setting herself at the table next to Usoppa. Sora sat down on Luffi’s other side and the crew dug in with gusto.

Sanae wandered around the table, pulling on a pair of oven mitts. The smell of baking had been overlaid by the aromas from lunch, but all eyes trailed upwards as she pulled out a tray of cookies.

Luffi almost instantly started stretching for them. Her fingers brushed the steaming tray and she shrieked. “Ow!”

Sora snorted in amusement, glancing away from the cookies.

Usoppa’s mouth was nearly watering at the tray.

Much to the sniper’s surprise, Sanae offered her the cookies first. “Want one?”

“Yes, please.” Usoppa instantly grabbed two. When Sanae only grinned instead of protesting the number, the long-nose grabbed a third.

Triple choc chip, melting in her mouth as she bit in. Just what she’d needed.

Luffi looked at the cookies mournfully, still rubbing her burnt hand. Sanae sighed and dropped one on her plate. The captain lit up and bit down into it, crumbs flying everywhere.

Sora managed to snatch one off the plate as the cook walked past the table for the counter. Her fingers brushed the burning tray, but she refused to flinch. The swordsman also counted it as a victory that she got one without the cook getting a chance to offer. She also hadn’t missed the significance of not being served first – it was a good sign that her constant sharp remarks and dark glares were wearing Sanae down.

At that moment, Namizo entered the kitchen, drawn down by the delicious smells.

As expected, Sanae’s one visible eye bloomed into a heart. “Namizo! I made spaghetti bolognaise and cookies! Would you like some?”

“Yeah, thanks,” Namizo said, sitting down.

Within a moment Sanae had served the navigator out a bowl. He smiled at her and somewhat cautiously thanked her, making her swoon. “Oh, it’s no trouble, no trouble at all for such a dashing prince-”

Sora groaned. “I get that you’re a moron, but do you have to prove it every single minute of the day?”

Sanae’s head snapped around. For a moment she looked torn on how to respond, her brow furrowed. “Is there a problem?” she asked finally, her voice sickly sweet.

“I think I just told you that you’re a moron,” Sora said flatly.

Sanae moved suddenly, as if she was about to kick. Sora tensed, a hand shooting to her one sword lest she need defend herself.

To her disappointment, the cook fell back. Sanae tried to content herself with a smile, although it was clear her teeth were gritted. “Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, I suppose,” she said.

Sanae reached across the table and collected Luffi’s long-since empty plate, dropping it in the sink. Under her breath, she hissed something about moss.

“What did you just say?” Sora snapped, a part of her legitimately curious.

Sanae paused, glanced at her over her shoulder, and turned back to the sink. “Absolutely nothing.” She hesitated for a moment, and then added, “Moss-head.”

“What?” Sora got to her feet. She wasn’t entirely sure what was supposed to be insulting about moss, but she was perfectly capable of telling the tone.

“Moss-head _hair_ ,” Sanae elaborated.

“Better than dart-board eyebrows!” Sora shot back.

“ _What?_ ” Sanae snapped back.

The cook could feel tears beginning to brim behind her eyes and tried to blink them away. She knew it was just her hormones going nuts, and she refused to give in. It had been years since she’d cried when the crap-geezer insulted her, and no matter how cute Zoro was, she wasn’t going to start crying now.

Oh, but he was very cute. Maybe not as cute as Namizo, who had a smile that could make her heart melt, but cute enough that she didn’t particularly want to fight him.

Sanae turned around and left the kitchen without another word.

Sora sighed with disappointment. She’d been hoping that it might have escalated to a fight. A spar with the love-cook might well have been interesting. If nothing else, it’d be nice to know just how far she outclassed curly-brow in fighting.

With a grumble, she sat back down at the table, deciding to finish lunch before Sanae came back lest the cook try to kick her out of the kitchen. Sora doubted she’d be able to force her out, but on the other hand the kitchen was Sanae’s domain and she might well come up with a decent argument. The swordsman much preferred a physical fight to a verbal one.

Luffi had decided to take the chance to raid the fridge with Sanae gone. If Namizo or Usoppa heard their green-haired crewmate grumble something about moss, they were smart enough not to mention it.


	8. “Why Is She About To Be Executed?!"

**Chapter Eight: “Why is she about to be executed?!”**

**or**

**“I couldn’t expect someone like you to understand what wishing to be born a man feels like.”**

Namizo was grumbling as he fished out a coin from one of the stolen wallets. “If you raise the price again, I won’t buy anymore,” he warned the delivery bird, taking the newspaper.

He took a step past Usoppa, who was lying on the ground developing a new star for her attacks. Luffi was whining in the background about Sanae literally kicking her out of the tangerine trees Namizo had taken, with Sanae arguing that it was Namizo’s and Luffi should not go near it. Namizo thanked the chef casually, ignoring Zoro’s snort of derision.

He unfurled the paper, and glanced at the flyer that was staring up from the middle page.

His jaw fell open. “L-Lu- _Luffi_!”

“Huh?” Luffi jogged over to him. “What’s the…oh… aaaaahhhaaaa!”

She grabbed the flyer and held it up in the air for her crew to see.

A girl with a yellow straw hat and a broad smile on her face beamed out at them from the wanted poster.

“I got a bounty!” Luffi cried in delight, hugging it to her chest. “I’m a wanted pirate now!”

“You have splendidly forgotten the fact that your life is now in danger,” Namizo groaned, rubbing his forehead.

“Hey, I’m in the picture too! Cool!” Usoppa beamed.

“It’s the back of your head,” Sanae pointed out, taking a breath of her cigarette.

“Aaw, don’t be jealous.”

“ _I’m a wanted pi-rate, I’m a wanted pii-rate, I’m a wanted pi-rate_ ,” Luffi sung. “ _I’m wanted for twenty-five million ber-ries, heeheehahaha_!”

“Twenty-five million?” Sora didn’t bother getting up from her chair. “Not bad for a starter. The average price of a pirate in the East Blue is only three million.”

“How do you know that?” Sanae asked, glancing at her.

Sora, better known as Zoro the Pirate Hunter, raised an eyebrow. “Well, I have found a couple of bounties in the past…” she said dryly.

A flicker of realisation crossed Sanae’s face, before she shrugged and turned back to guarding the tangerines, taking another deep breath of cigarette.

“There’s an island,” Usoppa stated, pointing.

Namizo smiled. “Good. That means we’re getting close to the Grand Line.”

He paused for a second. “That island has a city called ‘Logue Town’, you know. It’s where the Pirate King was executed.”

 “The Pirate King…” Luffi said softly, her gaze far away.

Namizo smiled at her.  “Shall we go?”

Loguetown was a thriving metropolis, with citizens wandering around everywhere.

“So this is where the age of pirates began, huh?” Sanae said as the five walked through the gates.

Luffi looked towards the city centre and started walking off purposefully. “I’m gonna go see the execution stand, ‘kay?”

Sanae smiled, glancing around. “I think I could find some pretty good ingredients here… and cute guys,” she added as an afterthought.

“I’m going to look for some equipment,” Usoppa said decisively.

Sora hesitated, glancing at Namizo. She knew what she wanted to buy – and she also knew that the last bounty she had collected was months ago.

Deciding she had no choice, she caught the red-haired thief by the shoulder.

“Huh?”

“Can I borrow some money? There’s something I need to buy.”

Namizo smiled broadly. “Sure, I’ll lend you some, at three hundred percent interest,” he said sweetly. “How much do you need?”

“About… a hundred thousand berries.”

“Okay.”

Namizo handed over the money a little too willingly for Sora to be entirely comfortable, but the swordsman accepted it gratefully, walking off to try and find a store.

She got three streets away before she heard the ruckus.

“Looks like your boss ain’t here today,” someone said threateningly. A giant of a man stood in the way of a woman walking the street.

His companion, an equally huge pirate, drew his sword. “Our boss being in prison is all ’cuz a you!”

The woman in question frowned, completely unintimidated. “If you still haven’t learnt your lesson, I’ll gladly be your next opponent.”

Sora paused, joining the rapidly growing throng of witnesses. She pushed her way through the crowd, trying to get a better view.

“Did I hear that right?” the first pirate said mockingly, cracking his knuckles. “A Little Miss like you is goin’ ta take us on?”

His companion grinned wickedly, raising his sword. “Well, why not?”

“When you die, tell ya boss that our dream of going ta the Grand Line was ruined ’cuz a him!” the pirate shouted, as both raised their swords.

Sora began to unsheathe her sword, taking a step towards the budding fight.

And then suddenly both pirates were thrown backwards, blood dripping onto the sidewalk. The woman spun around, her sword in hand.

The impressive display was only mildly ruined by the fact she stumbled just after the two collapsed, her glasses falling off her face.

Sora was impressed and a little delighted, although she wasn’t entirely sure why the smile was spreading across her face. Maybe it was just that she rarely got a chance to see another decent female swordsfighter.

Someone wolf whistled as the woman fumbled for her glasses on the pavement. There was an outbreak of laughter.

Sora gave her darkest glare in the general direction of them, and then knelt down, picking up the glasses. “Looking for these?”

“Oh. Sorry for troubling you.” The woman took the glasses, looking up at her.  “Thank you very much.”

The woman still wasn’t wearing her glasses, which is probably why she didn’t notice Sora’s jaw fall open.

She looked exactly like Kuina, right down to the smile.

“No… no problem,” Sora said faintly, standing up again. “I’ve got to go.”

She practically fled, shouldering through the crowd as the woman got to her feet again.

 _Dammit. I was not expecting that_ , Sora cursed inwardly as she slipped into a side alley. _But she looked… she looked just like her. Practically a copy._

She took a side step around a corner, running a finger through hair that was steadily getting longer. “Not only is she identical, but she’s a swordsman,” she muttered.

Sora sighed. “Well, it’s a big world,” she said quietly, wondering if somewhere there was someone who looked as much like her as that girl looked like Kuina.  “At least I won’t have to see her again. Dammit… still can’t get it out of my head.”

She stopped to ask for directions three times – apparently she had gone the entirely wrong direction the second time and had to double back – but eventually found the shop that matched the description.

The man inside jolted upwards as she walked into the arms store. “I’d like to buy a sword.”

“Yes, yes, of course,” the salesman said with a broad false grin on his face.

“I’ve got a hundred thousand berries and I need two swords,” Sora cut the salespitch off sharply.

The man blinked at her, and the smile faded from his face slightly. “If you want swords for fifty thousand I’ve only got blunt trash.”

“I can deal with that,” Sora said, a little regretfully. Maybe soon they’d be able to pick up some real money and she could get something better.

The salesman didn’t respond. His eyes had widened and he was staring at her hip in shock.

Sora tried to surreptitiously pull at her shirt a little, trying to make sure it wasn’t clinging too tightly to her figure. Sure, she was muscular and hardly hourglass shaped even without the binder, but she was always paranoid someone would notice.

“H-h-h-hey…” the man stuttered, his eyes darting nervously between Sora’s hip and her face, “c-c-c-could I s-see that sword y-y-you’ve got th-there?”

Sora blinked, but willingly unclasped the sword, a flicker of relief at the fact that he hadn’t somehow noticed her gender.

The man stared at it almost reverently for a moment, before dropping his hands. “Meh. It’s just a piece of junk.”

Sora’s fingers curled around the front of his shirt, dragging him up. The man was suddenly very aware of the toned muscles across the swordsman’s arm. “Wha-what I meant was, it’s a… better than average sword… but nothing m-much to write home a-about. S-since you’re broke, how about we make a deal?”

Sora released him. The salesman took a grateful breath, and moved to make sure the desk was indeed between the two. “How about I buy the sword for two hundred thousand berries? That way you can buy three swords for a hundred thousand berries each.”

“What?”

“N-no?” the man stuttered, clutching onto the sword tighter. “How about for five hundred thousand? Six hundred and fifty thousand?!”

Sora gave him a dark look as the opening door chimed behind her. “My sword isn’t for sale.”

“Hey! Is that…?!”

Sora was bundled to the side as a dark-haired woman pushed to the counter, adjusting her glasses to better see the sword. “That sword! Could it be…?!”

Sora felt her breath hitch. _What’s **she** doing here? _ she thought frantically, looking Kuina’s lookalike up and down.

“That’s Wadou Ichimonji, right?” the woman said, glancing up eagerly.

Sora could only blink. “Huh?”

“It’s such a beautiful blade…” Kuina’s copy said admiringly.

“I-it does go b-by that name, but it’s still just a d-d-decent sword at best,” the salesman protested.

The swordsman who was obviously female looked up sharply. “ _Decent?_ That’s one of the twenty-one Great-Grade swords!” She reached into her pocket and frantically rummaged for a small book on different swords. “There we are! _Wadou Ichimonji, valued at one million berries!_ ”

The salesman slammed his fist onto the counter in anger. “Dammit, woman! I should sue you for obstruction of business!”

The woman blinked at him. “I… I’m sorry, did I say something wrong? It’s just that I’ve never seen such a beautiful sword before, and-”

“Hmph,” the salesman snorted. “You came to pick up your Shigure, right? Here, take it.” He threw a sheathed sword at her, which the woman frantically dove backwards to grab, colliding with the wall. “Can’t believe a woman like you carries around such a high-grade sword. And pick up the swords you knocked over!”

The salesman turned to look at Sora angrily as the green-haired girl took a step to help the girl who looked so much like Kuina, with a vague idea of finding out if they were related. “Looks like you got lucky because of her! It’s exactly the sword she says and it’s a shame someone who doesn’t even know the value is the owner!”

Sora spared him a withering glance. “The sword wasn’t for sale anyway.”

“The barrels in the back have fifty thousand berry swords,” the man snarled. “Pick two and get out.”

Sora shrugged, walking over to the barrels he indicated.

“Three swords, huh?” the woman asked, getting to her feet as she slitted the last of the swords into its proper place. “Like the bounty hunter?”

Sora paused for a moment, and then continued rummaging. “The bounty hunter?”

“Roronoa Zoro? Have you heard of him?”

Sora felt the side of her mouth twitch at the reminder of her assumed name. “I’ve heard that name.”

“Yes, he’s quite infamous in the East Blue,” the woman continued, watching as Sora picked up a sword, inspected it, and put it back. “He treats his swords as a way of making money… it’s unforgivable!”

“I see…” Sora said slowly. She felt a shaft of disappointment at the fact that one of the few decent female swordsmen she’d ever met had already decided on her reputation. Of course, the woman also had no idea that they were indeed the same gender – or that she was talking about her assumed identity.

“Evil is so strong in this day and age…” the woman said wistfully, looking at her sword. “All the famous swordsmen are either pirates or bounty hunters… and their masterwork swords are crying.”

Sora glanced up for a moment. “Well, I try not to judge. Maybe they have their own special circumstances.”

“ _I_ would happily welcome criminals,” the salesman said bitterly. “Ever since that monster Smoker came around, my business has been running flat without pirates.”

“Smoker is not a monster!” the woman cried, glaring at him.

“He ate the devil fruit. That’s a monster for me,” the salesperson said, not noticing Sora’s sudden interest.

“In any case,” the woman said, deliberately turning away from the salesman. “As a swordsman, I will train with my Shigure until I can retrieve the blades from the master criminals! I will risk my life to rescue them!”

Sora glanced at her, a smile playing on her face. “Are you going to try and take this one too?” she asked, tugging at the one she had called ‘Wadou Ichimonji’.

The woman blanched. “What? No! I don’t want them myself, I just can’t stand the idea of them being used for evil!”

“If you say so,” Sora said lightly, turning back to the selection of swords.

The woman ran her hand over the handles. “Ooh! This one!”

“Huh?”

The woman pulled a dark sword out from the barrel. “You should definitely get this one. I saw it in my book, it’s… _Sandai Kitetsu!_ ”

Sora watched in bemusement as the woman turned to the salesman. “Are you really selling this for only fifty thousand berries?”

“Y…yes.”

The woman rubbed the handle of the sword in amazement “It’s one of the supreme grade swords…” she murmured quietly.

“I changed my mind!” the salesman blurted out. “I won’t! I can’t sell that sword!”

The woman blinked at him in confusion, unresisting as Sora neatly took it from her hands. “What? Why?”

“It’s cursed, isn’t it?” Sora held the blade up to the light. “I can tell.”

The salesman stared at her for a long moment, and then lowered his eyes. “Yes. Countless swordsmen have lost their lives after using that. I want to get rid of it, but I can’t. I can’t sell you that.”

He sighed, running a hand over his head. “No swordsman would ever dare use a Kietsu these days. Even those unaware of the curse always die.”

The woman looked horrified. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realise-” she began, staring at Sora.

“I like it,” Sora interrupted, balancing the blade in her hand. “I’ll take it.”

“ _What?!_ ” the salesman said, his jaw falling open.

“I’ll take it,” Sora repeated.

“No,” the salesman shook his head frantically. “Did you not understand what I said before, you stupid amateur? Every swordsman who has any talent whatsoever knows to avoid these swords like the plague. If I sold you this sword I would have your blood on my hands.”

Sora frowned. “I think it’s fair to say that I’m not an amateur,” she said slowly, twisting the sword in her hand.

“Maybe not, but if you’re considering that sword, then you’re a fool,” the salesman snapped.

“Why don’t we test it then?” Sora asked, her eyes gleaming. “My destiny versus this curse?”

The salesman stared. “Your what?”

Sora smiled, and then threw the sword into the air, throwing her arm out underneath it.

“What?” the black-haired woman asked faintly, her eyes glued to the spinning blade.

“You’ll lose your arm!” the salesman shrieked.

Sora only closed her eyes, waiting.

The blade arced down. The blunt edge of the blade touched her skin faintly, before the sword dug deep into the floor.

Sora slowly relaxed her outstretched arm, opening her eyes again. “I’ll take it.”

Both witnesses collapsed to their knees at the same time.

Sora glanced at the Kuina-lookalike. “Pick me out another sword, would you?”

“Uh…” the woman said shakily, staring at the still shivering sword. “Okay.”

“Wait!” the salesman said, scrambling to his feet. “Just stay right there!”

“Huh?” Sora watched as the man ran off up the stairs, returning within a few seconds with a sword in his hands.

“This… this is Yubashiri,” the salesman placed the sword on the counter. “It’s one of the fifty skilful-grade swords! I can personally attest to its sharpness. My store is small, but this is the best I have.”

Sora nodded. “It’s a beautiful blade, but I can’t buy it. I already told you, I have no money.”

The salesman frantically shook his head. “No! You don’t have to pay! And I won’t accept money for the Kietsu, either.” A sombre look crossed his face. “I apologise for trying to trick you before. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a swordsman as good as you.”

Sora considered that for a moment, before neatly pulling out the sword deeply dug into the ground. “Thank you,” she said, sheathing the Kietsu and accepting the Yubashiri.

“And you, sir.”

Sora fitted the Yubashiri sword to her hip as she started to walk out the door. “Thanks for your help,” she nodded at the woman still sitting, weak-legged on the floor.

Finally she stepped out into the street.

The sun seemed brighter when she had three swords.

As she walked, the crowds seemed to disappear. Sora frowned slightly, wondering why. As far as she could tell, she was heading to the centre of the town – and she could only tell that because the streets all led there – so logically the crowd should be thicker.

Four of the Straw Hat pirates reached the intersection at the same time. Namizo was carrying a vinyl bag full of clothes. Sanae had picked up a large fish that she was having Usoppa help carry, much to the sniper’s annoyance.

“Oh. Hey.” Namizo adjusted his bag. “We should probably find Luffi and go before the storm sets in.”

Sora glanced at the cloudless blue sky, then shrugged, deciding to trust the navigator.

“She’s meant to be here, right?” Sanae glanced around, noticing the execution stand Luffi had been aiming for.

Usoppa’s jaw dropped. “Uh… guys…?” she said slowly, shaking as she pointed. “I think she’s there…”

All eyes trailed up, following her line of sight up to the execution stand and the ominous looking axe.

“ _Why is she about to be executed?!_ ”

Buggy the Clown’s trademark laugh carried over the air. “For the crime of angering me, I sentence you to death!”

“Nooo! I don’t wanna!” Luffi’s panicked voice was even louder, struggling in the stocks that were holding her.

Sanae dropped the gigantic fish, leaving Usoppa to struggle under it, cursing her. “We’ve gotta rescue her.”

Namizo stared around, frantically coming up with angles. “Zoro, Sanae, you’re the two best fighters. You go rescue Luffi. Usoppa, you and me had better get to the ship before the storm hits. We have to be ready to go.”

“On it!” Sora sprinted off, her newly brought swords slipping into her hands. Sanae was close on her heels as the two girls ran for the execution stand.

Both felt panic clutch their hearts when they heard Luffi’s genuine fear as she pleaded to be let go. Luffi wasn’t supposed to be afraid. If Luffi was afraid, something very wrong was going on.

 “Any last words?” Buggy asked mockingly, standing near her head.

Luffi took a deep breath, feeling the words move to her tongue without even thinking of them. “I’m the girl who’s going to be _King of the Pirates!_ ” she screamed.

There was a moment of stunned silence, when the only movement was the two Straw Hats pushing through the crowd, before incredulous murmurs broke out over the townsfolk.

“ _What?!_ ”

“Outrageous.”

“A girl can’t even be a king, anyway.”

“Is that all you have to say, rubberwoman?” Buggy asked, lifting the axe up against her neck.

Sanae felt her heart climb into her throat as she shoved people out of the way. “Wait!” she screamed, desperate for _anything_ to delay that axe going down.

To her astonishment, it worked. Buggy stopped pulling the axe back, turning to look at the two figures running through the crowd.

“Sanae! Zoro!” Luffi shouted in delight. “Help!”

“Roronoa Zoro,” Buggy said, his eyes locking on the green hair pushing towards the stand. “So you did come. You’re too late.”

Sanae neither knew nor cared why the clown man knew Zoro, or why he was about to kill Luffi for that matter. All she knew was if the pirate was focused on Zoro, she might get a chance to get close.

“You take the right, I’ll take the left! We’ve gotta bring it down!” Sanae shouted at Zoro.

“Got it!” Sora shouted back, running to the right after checking which side Sanae had headed.

“Take care of them, boys!” a woman’s voice rang.

“You got it, Lady Alvida!”

Neither Straw Hat pirate slowed down against the oncoming crush of men. “Get out of my way!” Sora shouted, spinning around to slash flesh of attackers.

“Move it!” Sanae snapped, kicking a path. She seemed to have attracted less pirates than Zoro – maybe it was because they knew him, maybe it was because they thought him to be the bigger threat – and hoped she could take advantage of that to get there in time.

_If I can just kick down that execution stand-!_

“Well, Straw Hats,” Buggy said with his typical laugh. “Feel free to watch the last moments of your captain from there!”

Sora snarled as she slashed another pirate away. “Get down here and fight me, coward!” she shrieked in a higher pitch than she had spoken in months.

“Sanae! Zoro!” Luffi’s voice rang out. The black-haired girl didn’t even glance up at the blade raised above her neck. “Namizo! Usoppa!”

Suddenly her voice had that same tone in always did when she had on her broad, absolutely genuine grin. “Sorry, but it looks like I’m dead!”

“Don’t say that, you idiot!” Sanae shouted, sending another rock-splitting kick through the crowd.

Luffi’s smile didn’t waver as the blade touched her neck.

**_KRACK!_ **

A flash of light lit the town centre. A wave of heat expanded rapidly as the execution stand began to topple.

For a split second, Sora wondered if the Heavens themselves were genuinely protesting against the King of the Pirates’ death before she claimed her title.

And then a familiar laugh rang out as a girl in a red vest tumbled from the broken ruins of the stand. “Hahahaha! Hey! I survived!” Luffi picked up her straw hat with her familiar grin. “Cool!”

Every single witness stared at her in shock, jaws dropping.

The battles stopped. Sanae glanced at Sora through the crowd of fainting pirates. “Say… do you believe in God?”

“A bit,” Sora answered honestly, pushing one of the few remaining opponents to the ground. “Enough talking, we need to go.”

“Surround the town square!” an authoritative voice shouted.

“Don’t let the pirates get away!”

“You’re under arrest – in the name of justice!”

“Come on!” Luffi shouted, leading the way as Sora and Sanae chased her. “Which way are we going?!”

“This way!” Sanae shouted, gesturing for them to follow as she turned off. Luffi and Sora obligingly followed the only girl in the trio with a decent sense of direction.

The rain was beginning to beat down hard as they pushed through the empty streets, civilians having run for cover from either the weather or the pirates.

“The marines keep coming,” Sora said, glancing over her shoulder. “Should we stop and fight them off?”

“No,” Sanae said sharply, wiping her long blonde hair from her one visible eye. “They’ve got a base here, there’ll be too many. Besides, Namizo said to meet at the ship as soon as we could.”

“Roronoa Zoro!”

The Kuina-lookalike from the sword shop was standing in their way, her sword drawn.

 “Sergeant Major Tashigi!” the following marines cried, delighted.

“You’re Roronoa Zoro!” the woman – Tashigi – shouted, her sword raised. “And you’re a _pirate_ now, too! You were _toying_ with me!”

“Bastard!” Sanae snapped at her. “That’s hardly how a gentleman should treat a lady!”

Sora ignored the cook, fixing her eyes on the female swordsman in front of them. “I didn’t know you were a marine, either, so we’re even.”

Tashigi snarled. “I’ll be taking that Wadou Ichimonji.”

Sora smirked at her. “Try it.”

Tashigi swung her sword. Sora’s own was already in her hand, brought up to block it.

“Go on ahead!” Sora waved to Luffi and Sanae, holding off Tashigi’s blade. “I’ll deal with this and catch up!”

“That brute attacks a lady and he dare calls himself a gentleman?!” Sanae shrieked, almost turning back.

“When did he say that?” Luffi asked, grabbing her by the shoulder. “Come on!”

The two female swordsmen collided again. Sora swung her other swords out their sheaths one-handed, never even slowing as she blocked Tashigi.

Another heavy-handed blow from Tashigi spun towards her head. Sora hit the tip with one of her swords and another flung towards the handle, successfully throwing it from Tashigi’s hands.

The marine woman stared in horror as Wadou Ichimonji dug deep in the wall next to her. “Sorry,” Sora said with a wicked smile, “but I won’t give up my sword to anyone.”

She pulled the blade from the stone and started to walk in the general direction Luffi and Sanae had ran. “I’ll be going then.”

“What?” Tashigi pushed herself from the wall, staring after her in shock. “Why didn’t you cut me down?!”

Sora paused.

“Is it because I’m a woman?!” Tashigi shrieked.

Sora’s breathing nearly stopped. She froze in the middle of walking away, every muscle rigid.

“You _dare_ to go easy on me in a duel because a woman isn’t as physically powerful as a man?!” Tashigi shouted. “That’s just shameful!”

She took a step forwards, furiously glaring at the pirate’s back. “I know I couldn’t expect someone like you to understand what wishing to be born a man feels like,” she continued angrily, unable to tell that the pirate’s eye was twitching, “but I didn’t pick up the sword for the fun of it! I learnt to fight to be a swordsman!”

“I know!” The words burst from Sora’s mouth before she even considered stopping them. She spun around on her heel to face the startled marine. “I know that a woman can be a swordsman and I know _exactly_ what it feels to be treated like I could never fight!”

“How could you?” Tashigi shrieked back. “How could you, a _man_ , have any indication of what it’s like to be a woman swordsman?”

Sora wanted to scream at her, but her throat had clenched up, rendering her speechless. She wanted to inform Tashigi of her own experiences with sexism on a daily basis, she wanted to howl that it was the marine who didn’t know what it was like to be told repeatedly a girl couldn’t be a swordsman, but the words froze in her mouth as she realised that Tashigi _did_ understand.

“And if you truly knew what it was like to be disrespected like this, you would never do the same!” Tashigi continued furiously, when it became apparent the pirate wasn’t about to respond. “You _dare_ to treat me as an opponent not even worthy of being cut down, and then you-”

Sora found her voice again at the accusation to which she could retaliate. “That’s not why!” she shrieked. “It’s your _existence_ that made me spare you! _Stop copying her!_ ”

Tashigi was caught off guard. “Copying _who?!_ ” she demanded.

 “Your face is exactly like a friend of mine,” Sora ranted, stepping closer to the marine. “And now you’re saying the exact same things she did! So stop acting like her!”

“What?!” Tashigi demanded incredulously. “That’s insanely childish! I’ve never been anyone but me my entire life! Maybe it’s your friend who’s been copying _me_!”

“ _WHAT?!_ ”

A crack of thunder snapped through the air, cutting off Sora’s argument. Suddenly the anger she felt at being accused of sexism was pushed aside as she realised the more pressing issue going on.

Without another word she spun on her heel and raced off.

“Luffi!” Sora found her captain sprawled on the ground, a party of marines around her. “Come on!”

She grabbed one of her rubber hands, pulling her after her.

Sanae was already dragging Luffi to her feet, following. “There’s a gust coming!” the pirate chef shouted. “This is the storm Namizo was talking about! He’s amazing!”

They reached the port in record time. “Luffi! You’re okay!” Usoppa shouted in relief.

“Namizo…” Sanae sung, waving a hand. “Did you miss me?!”

“You’re all late! Get on!” Namizo shouted. “We’re setting out immediately!”

Namizo and Usoppa had gotten the ship ready to leave.  The instant all members were on board, Namizo tugged at the mooring. The wind was pushing them out to sea as they were buffeted by the waves.

“Anything we need to do now?” Sora asked the navigator.

“I think we’re good,” Namizo said.

Slowly, the redhead began to grin. Then he let out a whoop. “We’re almost there!”

“Huh?”

“That lighthouse, see?” Namizo pointed. “It’s the marker! The Grand Line is just beyond it!”

“Well, do you think we should maybe wait for the storm to pass before entering the Grand Line…?” Usoppa said nervously as Sanae wandered back onto the deck.

“Oh, Zoro?” she called with her best flirtatious smile on her face. “I thought we could celebrate; do you mind helping me with this barrel? It’s _so_ heavy…”

“You just carried that barrel up from the storerooms without any trouble,” Sora muttered under her breath. She thought she’d almost managed to get Sanae to stop flirting with her. Apparently not.

Still, a celebration seemed a better way to enter the Grand Line than another argument. Just this once, she’d let it go. Sora picked up the barrel, moving it to the centre as Sanae picked the mugs off the ground.

“To finding All Blue,” the chef said with a grin as she put her foot on the barrel.

“To becoming the Pirate King!” Luffi said determinedly, her own sandalled foot joining Sanae’s.

“To becoming the greatest swordsman.” Sora joined them.

“To drawing a map of all the seas,” Namizo added, his foot pressing on.

“T… to becoming a brave warrior of the seas!” Usoppa said shakily, glancing at the rolling waves nervously as she put her foot on the barrel.

In unison they all kicked down, cracking the barrel open.

“To the Grand Line!”

**_ X _ **

**_  
_ **


	9. “I’ll Take You On, Baroque Works!”

**Chapter Nine: “I’ll take you on, Baroque Works!”**

          Namizo was pretty sure the townspeople had disappeared. He carefully sat up from where he was faking unconsciousness.

All around him, his crew were slumped asleep. Luffi still had leftover crumbs on her face. Usoppa was mumbling happily in her sleep, something about Sea Kings and an easy defeat. Sanae had passed out, possibly from sheer happiness at the men fawning over her. Zoro was snoring gently, face covered by one arm.

 _Idiots_. What kind of town cheered pirates?

Of course, it could be some sort of odd survival strategy. After all, if the pirates were fed and welcomed with open arms, they might be less likely to attack. That would leave the people alive, but most pirates would still rob any treasure they could find… which in turn would lead to having to hide every scrap of gold very carefully.

Which meant either this town had a hidden pile of treasure or was a trap. Either way, sleeping was a bad idea.

Not that Namizo really planned on robbing the place if it was really just civilians trying to protect themselves, but he’d never forgive himself if he didn’t at least have a look…

He slipped out of the room, his footsteps as light as a cat-burglar’s ever were.

Voices drifted to him on the wind, sounding promising.  Namizo slipped forwards, ducking between the gaps between houses to listen.

“Was the party really necessary?” the nun that Namizo had pretended to lose to in a drinking contest asked, taking off her habit. “After all, they’re just a couple of kids.”

The man with the curly hair – Igaram, he’d introduced himself as – glanced at her. “Miss Monday, please.”

“We should have crushed them at the harbour,” Miss Monday continued. “We don’t have the food to spare. And it’s not like we can count on getting any whale meat, either.”

“Hey, don’t blame us for that!” the girl who had introduced herself as Miss Wednesday protested.

“We did our best!” her partner, Mr Nine, agreed furiously.

Igaram scowled. “Calm down and have a look at this, would you?” He held out a piece of paper that Namizo couldn’t see.

“T-t-twenty-five _million_ berries?!” Mr Nine blurted, his jaw dropping.

 _Luffi’s bounty._ Namizo felt his stomach twist as that confirmed they’d wandered into a den of bounty hunters. He had no way of knowing how many of these were good fighters, but everyone at the party had to have been in on it.

The others might have been able to take out a hundred people without blinking, but Namizo sure couldn’t.

 _I have to wake them up,_ he thought frantically, glancing at the still unfamiliar form of compass on his wrist. Thankfully, the Log Pose seemed to have set, and was pointing firmly in the direction away from where they came from.

“Hey! You! Don’t move!”

Namizo froze. Slowly, he turned around.

One of the townspeople was pointing a gun at him, straight through the gap between houses.

Namizo chuckled nervously. “Okay, I’ll stay-”

“Get out here with your hands up!” the woman ordered.

“Okay,” Namizo said weakly. He slowly sidled away from the gun, but was stopped by a furious growl.

“Oh no you don’t. Come out _this_ way.”

“Okay,” Namizo squeaked.

Now the other bounty hunters had noticed there was something going on, there was no chance of excuse. He would likely get shot if he tried to run, so obviously the only action was to co-operate.

He thought that the moment he was out from the houses and able to move freely he might be able to run for it, but the woman had his arm pinned against his back before he was fully out. “Don’t even think about trying to escape, _pirate_.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Namizo obligingly let the woman lead him out into the midst of bounty hunters. His confidence was plummeting rapidly as his odds of escape decreased, but he didn’t seem to have many other options.

“One of them got away?” Miss Monday scowled.

“It appears so. But we’ve cort – mi-mi-mi-mi-mi – caught him now,” Igaram said thoughtfully, observing him. He took a step closer, which infuriated Namizo more than the gun frightened him.

“I am not some kind of show! You had better let me go!”

The population of Whiskey Peak looked somewhat amused. “And why should we?” Miss Wednesday challenged.

“You and your partner there saw how well we can take you out, and that wasn’t even a real fight!” Namizo snapped. “I’ll tell you this much, when my captain sees that you’ve taken one of her crewmates, she will _not_ go easy on you!”

“Hmm. I thought it was the long-nosed girl who seemed prone to exaggeration,” one of the bounty hunters commented.

Mr Nine smiled wickedly. “Oh, you pirates may be decent fighters, but your crew is unconscious now and we have no intention of letting them wake up still able to fight.”

Namizo snarled. “Let me _go!_ ”

Igaram considered his request for a moment. “Normally, if a dead pirate is handed to the marines, their bounty goes down by thirty percent. However, you haven’t got a berry to your head to lose.”

Namizo would have protested – hell, he may well have taken a leaf from Usoppa’s book and claim that he had the highest bounty in the East Blue – but the sudden gun against his head caused his throat to dry up.

“P-please…” he whispered. In no way did he value his dignity more than his life. “Please, don’t-”

“Sorry, but can you not?” A cool girl’s voice cut through the air, overriding every other sound. All eyes snapped to the top of the nearest building. “We still need a navigator for our crew.”

The gun moved away from Namizo’s head. Namizo felt an overwhelming relief and pure gratitude to his crewmate, even as part of his brain registered that he didn’t actually recognise the girl’s voice…

His eyes flickered up to the top of the building to see a gleam as the moonlight glinted off metal, a soft _hiss_ as a sword was unsheathed.

“You! But you were passed out unconscious!” Igaram protested.

There was a flicker of green hair and a familiar silhouette as whoever it was stood up in front of the moon. “A true swordsman never lets alcohol take control.”

“Zoro,” Namizo whispered, his knees going wobbly with relief. He would be okay.

The acoustics must have been doing weird things to his voice. Maybe it was the wind, because when the swordsman next spoke it sounded perfectly male. “And a den of bounty hunters is a dangerous place to let your guard down.”

“Zoro!” Namizo shouted. One of his hands were still pinned behind his back, but he waved the other one. “Get me out of here!”

Zoro gave no sign that he’d heard him. A smile crept over his face as he observed their enemies. “Looks like a hundred bounty hunters in all.”

He pointed a sword at them, his grin growing wider, more brutal. “I’ll take you on, Baroque Works!”

Namizo had no idea whether it was luck or planned – probably luck, knowing the swordsman – but at the term he was suddenly released.

Namizo stepped forward at once, noticing as he did so that the woman had dropped him in shock. Every bounty hunter was staring in horror at the Straw Hat pirate on the roof, who was looking somewhat amused. Whether by the reaction or the imminent prospect of a fight was hard to tell.

“How did you know the name of our organisation?!” Igaram shouted furiously.

Zoro cut an imposing figure in the moonlight, his eyes gleaming. “Collecting bounties and turning them into the marines is not something you have monopoly on. When I used to do the same, a certain _scout_ in your organisation asked me to join. An organisation where the members don’t know a thing about their comrades, and must refer to each other with ridiculous code names. And of course, a mysterious leader who no-one’s ever seen. You are an organization that asks for complete and total obedience from your members. Naturally I refused.” He cocked his head to the side and smirked. “Was it meant to be a secret?”

Instantly all guns were pointed at the rooftop. Zoro’s smile never wavered.

“This is a surprise, but if you know about our organisation you must die,” Igaram snapped. He glanced at the hundred or so weapons pointed at the swordsman. “Another tombstone will be added to Cactus Rock tonight.”

Namizo glanced at the mammoth rock formation rising behind the town. He hadn’t given it any thought before but to note that it did indeed look like a cactus. But if every one of the ‘spikes’ was a tombstone for a pirate…

Suddenly Namizo was very glad no-one was looking at him. Using every skill he’d learnt as a thief, he started to step towards the back of the group. If he kept this up, he could get out while Zoro was still handling them, and wake up the others-

“ _Fire!_ ”

The air was rife with shots.

Namizo stared up at the rooftop, half expecting to see Zoro riddled with holes, but the swordsman had completely disappeared.

“He’s gone!”

“ _Where did he go?!_ ”

“How did he move so quickly?!”

“Did he fall off when we hit him?”

Something nudged against Namizo’s shoulder. The navigator nearly jumped out of his skin, spinning to face the bounty hunter…

The _ex-_ bounty hunter. Zoro caught his eye, amused. Namizo’s face lit up.

“ _Where_ could he have gotten to?” someone shouted just next to them.

“Yeah, where’d she go?” Sora joined in yelling the general question running around.

No-one, including her, noticed she used the wrong pronoun. Female was still what she identified with, and everyone else was busy staring at her in shock.

Sora grinned broadly. “So… you wanna fight?”

A hundred guns were aimed at her again. Sora slammed weight down onto Namizo’s shoulder as she sprinted off, sending the navigator buckling at the knees.

Namizo whimpered as he hit the ground, but Sora didn’t feel guilty. If he’d rather get hit by a stray bullet there he’d have plenty of chances. It worked, anyway – no-one was paying any attention to the redhead anymore.

“He’s disappeared again!”

“He’s too fast!”

Sora paused to see that Namizo seemed to have realised that he was safe. He’d started to sprint for cover.

Well, it wouldn’t do if she let him get shot once they noticed him. Sora dropped back into the middle of the fight, a sword brushed against weird curly-hair’s head. “You said you’d add _a_ tombstone. Wouldn’t a dozen at a time be more efficient?” she asked conversationally.

The man stiffened under the blade.

“There he is!”

“No, don’t shoot! You’ll shoot me, too!” Curly-hair shouted.

“Then what are you planning on doing?” Sora asked. She fully expected an answer, and equally doubted it would be verbal.

She was not disappointed. A sudden spray of bullets exploded from the man’s saxophone.

Sora ducked, and then glanced around to where a flash of red-hair had disappeared to. She smirked, and sprinted to where Namizo was hiding, her feet as light as the wind.

“So, what exactly were you planning on doing?” Sora asked conversationally.

“Zoro!” Namizo glanced up from where he was peering around the corner. “Okay, I’m going to go wake up the others. Can you distract them for at least a minute?”

Sora raised an eyebrow. “Why wake them? They’re all tired from the trip.”

“Because we _have to get out of here_ ,” Namizo hissed.

Sora’s mouth twitched. “I’d rather handle these guys myself.”

“There’s over a hundred of them!”

“Probably, yes,” Sora agreed. “Sheer numbers should make it interesting; I don’t think they’ve got much skill.”

“Zoro, you can’t beat-”

“Besides, it’s a perfect chance to test out my new girls,” Sora added lightly, tapping her swords at her hip.

“Your new… _girls_?”

“Look, if you’re worried, you can go wait with the others. That way you can wake Luffi up or something if someone finds you.” Sora glanced over her shoulder. “Things might get a little hazardous around here for non-combatants.”

Before Namizo could protest, a victorious shout reached them from the top of the building they were sheltering behind. “Yee-haw! I found ‘em!”

Both Straw Hats scrambled into the building, leaving a spray of bullets behind them. “They’re in the house!” the cowboy shouted.

Sora shoved Namizo to the side, grabbing one of the tables as a fresh explosion of bullets ricocheted inside the house. Namizo curled up into a ball, attempting to make as small a target as possible.

But they weren’t aiming for him. They barely seemed to know he was in there. Instead, all weapons were pointed at the table working as a shield – or a cover, as it was by no means bulletproof – for Sora.

“Alright.” Sora drew one of her swords. “First up – _Yubashiri_.”

Her sword sliced through the table. She slammed the palm of her hand into the two halves and threw them at the door.

While the bounty hunters were still distracted with that, Sora barrelled past them, Yubashiri gleaming as she did so.

 “Hmm… good blade, nicely balanced, very light,” Sora mused, holding it first in both hands, then in one. She glanced at the bounty hunters, who had only just realised they’d been cut. “And it’s sharp enough you don’t notice it until you’re bleeding.”

“There he is!”

Sora grinned as she started to run. “I’ve been spotted,” she commented brightly to the sky. And as far as she could see, Namizo hadn’t.

Now, where should she go…?

A ladder looked promising. Sora scaled it three at a time, leaping up the rungs easily.

“Hey! He’s heading for the roofs!”

“I got it!”

Sora’s head had just peered over the side of the roof when a cannonball flew towards her. She bent backwards instantly, letting it sail over her. It was so close her green hair rustled in the wind.

“This is as far as you’ll get!” one of the bounty hunters snapped, as several started to advance on her with swords.

Sora almost laughed at the idea only four people of their skill could beat her in a swordfight, but was distracted by a loud grunt.  

“Uoooooohhhh – heeeeh!” Miss Monday threw the huge barrel over her head, aiming it straight at Sora.

Sora groaned, unsheathing Kietsu. “Seriously?”

The barrel split into four pieces, perfectly timed to smash into the four bounty hunters with their swords. “How wasteful… this island actually has decent liquor.”

She was amused at the look of mingled shock and fury on Miss Monday’s face. But there was no time to appreciate it.

She spun around, angling Kietsu to block the stone mallet aimed for her head.

It was supposed to only be a block, but the mallet was sliced clean in two. It was only Sora’s fast reflexes that kept her from getting hit by one of the falling pieces. That would have been humiliating.

She frowned at the sword, even as she used Wadou and her other hand to take out the man holding the mallet. “That wasn’t supposed to happen. Kietsu has a good edge, but a blade should only cut when the swordsman means to. This is going to be a problem child, I can tell.”

Speaking of problem children… Sora masterfully knocked the blade away from the seven year old boy. He screamed when he saw her, scrambling backwards into the waiting arms of a woman in a habit.

“Please, oh, please have mercy,” the woman pleaded.

Sora raised an eyebrow. She had seen Miss Monday take off her nun disguise, and truly doubted this one was any more legitimate.

The pretend-nun, however, seemed to take her expression as agreement. Her eyes glinted. “Bless you. Gesund- _hit_!”

Sora didn’t give her a chance to use the weapon. Knocking the woman across the head with the back of her blade, she jabbed her elbow down on the little boy’s head. “Whatever happened to mercy?” she asked dryly, continuing up the next ladder.

She didn’t bother waiting to reach the top. As soon as her hand reached the edge of the building, she swung herself off from the ladder, kicking at the wood hard. The ladder collapsed, sending several Baroques Works agents down with it.

Before it had fallen properly, Sora had already leapt from the roof. She balanced on the toppling ladder for a moment, before leaping off again to reach the next roof.

The roof in question was already filled with bounty hunters. Sora was satisfied with the obvious terror that filled their eyes as she approached, and was even more pleased when none of them ran. Nervously they reached for their guns as she reached for Kietsu and Yubashiri.

“Two sword style – _Hawk Wave!_ ”

Bounty hunters collapsed.

Sora hadn’t been able to reach the proper swordsman instincts that she’d heard of yet, although she’d been working on them, but her sense of danger was finely tuned. She was well aware of the dozen bounty hunters heading towards her.

Nonchalantly, she pressed Yubashiri into the roof below her feet and turned, drawing a thin but very deep circle. She moved off the area expertly, not letting her weight shift the now delicate balance of the circle.

The bounty hunters who had leapt for her didn’t have the same control. Sora didn’t glance at them as she continued walking. “Careful now. There’s a hole there,” she said absently, as horrified shouts came from behind her as they apparently didn’t take her advice.

The shouts had masked the sounds of footsteps. Sora only had the briefest of warnings that someone was behind her before she dropped instinctively to the ground. Above her head, a ladder splintered against the wall.

“Wouldn’t have thought a ladder to be a weapon, but that would have taken my head off,” Sora grumbled, rolling to the side and leaping to her feet.

The woman who had swung the ladder snarled. Sora watched dispassionately as she pulled on brass-knuckles and curled her fingers into a fist.

“You put up a good fight,” Miss Monday growled, “but you can’t hope to stand up against me.”

Sora’s lip curled in an expectant grin. “Let’s try, shall we?” She reached for her swords, which she’d sheathed instinctively in her dodge, but the massive woman’s fingers curled around her wrist before she got the chance. “Hmm?”

Her arm was yanked in front of her. Miss Monday grabbed her by the throat while Sora was still off balance, glaring at her. Without another word the Baroques Work agent slammed her fist into Sora’s skull.

It was far from the worst injury Sora had ever received, but it was probably the hardest punch she’d taken from brass knuckles. She was thrown into the air and landed heavily on the ground, unsure if the resounding cracks were the stone or her own body.

Miss Monday moved over to inspect her. She bent down to listen, frowning as she heard Sora’s ragged breathing. “You’re still alive, swordsman?”

“Yeah,” Sora gasped, blinking out the blood trickling into her eye.

Then she reached up and grabbed Miss Monday’s arm, wrenching it to the side. The Straw Hat swordsman pushed herself to her feet, and with her free hand clenched Miss Monday’s head in the strongest grip she could manage.

Miss Monday howled. Sora looked at her without pity, her steel-like fingers digging into the woman’s skull. “Who couldn’t stand up to who?” she challenged coldly, ignoring the hands frantically swiping at her arm.

They stood like that for a moment more, before Miss Monday’s resistance stopped and her howls cut off. The Baroque Works agent’s eyes rolled into the back of her head. Sora released her and the woman fell backwards, landing heavily on the roof. She wasn’t dead, but she wouldn’t be getting up for a while.

 _Hmm. Guess it was the roof breaking after all_ , Sora mused as she moved over the cracks her landing had made. There was a definite imprint where she had landed, clear enough to pick out the individual marks left by her sheaths, which was odd to look at. Her own body seemed relatively unharmed, although she was probably going to be covered in bruises tomorrow.

She stopped at the edge of the roof, looking down at the gobsmacked citizens of Whiskey Peak. Namizo wasn’t among them, which was a relief – Sora had been a little concerned he might have gotten caught again, but then again the Straw Hats knew better than anyone how wily their navigator could be.

“Please tell me that isn’t all you have, Baroque Works.” Sora rested one of her feet on the railing of the roof, kneeling slightly to look down better on the Bounty Hunters. She licked her lips, tasting metal from where her wound had dripped onto her mouth. “A fight isn’t a mere game, you know.”

Hearing the shock and fear of Whiskey Peak below her only made her smile grow wider.

**_ X _ **

The party at Whiskey Peak had been a delight.

The awakenings had not.

“Luffi!”

“Hey, what the – hey!”

Sanae and Usoppa were both dragged, literally, out of sleep, a rubbery hand gripping their ankles.

“No time to talk! Come on!” Luffi shouted, pulling them along.

“Hey, can’t we _walk_?” Sanae complained, kicking half-heartedly at the hand around her ankle. Normally, even a half-hearted kick from a student of ‘Red Shoes’ Zeff would crack bones, but Luffi was made of rubber. Sanae’s foot only bounced back.

A shout from up ahead made Luffi gasp, and then start running.

The discomfort of being dragged went up several notches. “Hey! Luffi!”

“Put us down!”                      

“LUFFI!”

“What’s the big idea?!”

“I got them!” Luffi skidded to a stop at the dock, both girls hanging limply from her hands.

“Good. Get on board.” Sora jumped onto the side of the deck. “We need to go any minute.”

“I’m going to kill you…” Sanae mumbled as Luffi dropped her foot. She got to her feet, cradling her head. “What was that for?!”

“We don’t have the time to look for your duck!” Namizo shouted at the familiar blue-haired figure standing next to him.

“But I can’t leave without him-”

“The duck is on board already,” Sora said, exasperated.

“Uh… Mr Nine?” Usoppa asked, confused as she tried to focus her eyes on the boy by Namizo. The last time they had seen him, he had jumped overboard as they neared Whiskey Peak, with his partner Miss Wednesday.

“Hurry,” Namizo said sharply, climbing on board. “We have to go!”

Still disorientated from their impromptu travel, Usoppa and Sanae crawled on board.

“How many people are after us now?” Luffi asked Mr Nine.

“It’s hard to say for sure, but Crocodile has two thousand people working for him,” Nine said, looking nervously out to sea as Sora cast off.

“Okay, enough!” Usoppa shouted as the familiar rocking of the ship went under their feet. “Why couldn’t we have stayed for one more night? Or even the whole night?!”

“Yeah, they were so nice!” Sanae agreed. “They had so many cute guys, and they had a _party_ for us! We’re pirates, how many times do you think that’s going to happen?!”

Sora sighed. “They were bounty hunters. They were just trying to get us vulnerable so they could give us to the navy.”

“-What?”

“-What?”

A teasing laugh echoed from the roof of the Going Merry. “You know, you should be paying attention to where you’re going. There are some rocks up ahead.”

All heads snapped up to see a young man sitting on the railing of the ship. He was wearing long boots that went up to his legs, a tight-fitting singlet and a wicked smile. “I do believe that your Mr Eight met those rocks recently, Mr Nine,” he said lightly.

The boy snarled. “What did you do to Igaram?! What are you doing out here, All-Sunday?!”

Namizo spun around to face Mr Nine. “Who’s he the partner of?”

“That’s Mr Zero’s partner!” Mr Nine said sharply, trying not to shake. “Although they’re supposed to be partnered boy-girl, Crocodile refused to partner with anyone he saw was weaker!”

Sora scowled, but one of her swords had already been pointed at All-Sunday from the beginning.

All-Sunday’s smile twitched upwards. “An interesting theory, but that’s not the reason. I simply had certain skills that allowed me to be promoted to vice-president. The differing-gender partnerships isn’t an absolutely strict rule; it’s simply one that works.” He ran his gaze over the figures on the ship. “Judging by your crew, I would say that you are well aware that girls are perfectly capable of fighting.”

 “Me and Igaram tailed him to find out the boss’s identity!” Mr Nine shouted.

“I know. I let you.”

“So, he’s a good guy?” Luffi asked.

“You’re also the one who let him know that we found it out!” Mr Nine shouted.

“So… bad guy, then?”

All-Sunday tutted. “No need to get so worked up. I let you tail me because you looked so desperate. After all… one prince trying to save his kingdom all by himself? It’s almost amusing in its patheticness.”

Usoppa glanced at Sanae at the new information, hoping they could help each other piece together what was going on. Unfortunately, Sanae had heard the word ‘prince’ and was gazing at Mr Nine with the most lovestruck expression to date.

“Don’t you dare!” the prince in question shrieked. “Don’t you dare underestimate me!”

All-Sunday laughed.

A moment later, he glanced to the side to see Sanae pointing a gun at him. She had seen the prince on board become distressed, and in her typical logic decided that if she helped surely he would rescue her later.

Usoppa had gone for the more practical approach, realising there was an enemy on ship, but the result was still her aiming her slingshot at the man.

Sanae cocked her gun. She didn’t have much practise in guns, but she knew how to fire one, and she was close enough range she was sure she would hit.

“Don’t aim those things at me,” All-Sunday sighed.

Suddenly a hand seemed to appear from nowhere, shoving both girls in the back. They tumbled over the railing and hit the ground heavily.

“Hey!” Namizo shouted as his baton dropped from his hands. Sora started and then growled when she realised her sword fell.

“What ability does he have?” Luffi asked, scowling.

“He’s _hot_ …” Sanae murmured, able to get a glimpse of him for the first time.

“I’m not here to fight. No need to worry,” All-Sunday shrugged. He held out a hand as a familiar yellow straw hat was flung into it. “So you’re Monkey D. Luffi…”

Luffi stared at the hat for a moment, uncomprehending, and then let out a scream of pure anger. “GIVE ME BACK MY HAT!”

“How unfortunate that a couple of small time pirates are after all of Baroque Works…” All-Sunday said sweetly. “And that a prince has to rely on them. But you know, the next stop is Little Garden. I don’t really need to do anything to stop you when you’ll never reach Alabasta.”

“We won’t just roll over and die! Give me my _hat_!” Luffi screamed.

“I’ll give you something else,” the man said teasingly. He lightly tossed something in the general direction of Mr Nine.

“An eternal pose?” The blue-haired boy caught it.

“You’ll pass all the other troubles with that. It’ll take you straight to an uninhabited island right before Alabasta,” All-Sunday hummed.

“Why would you do that?” Namizo asked, stunned.

“It’s probably a trap,” Sora said darkly.

“Maybe, maybe not,” All-Sunday hummed.

“Give me that!” Luffi snatched the eternal Log Pose. To the horror of the others, she smashed it in her hand.

“Why did you do that?!” Namizo shouted, hitting her on the shoulder.

Luffi stared at All-Sunday in anger. “Don’t you dare assume you can control our journey!”

A smile played on his lips. “Okay. I see.”

Lightly he jumped to the side of the railing. “Maybe I’ll see you again – if you survive.”

With that, he leapt from the ship, landing on the back of a giant turtle that had been docked against the ship. It started to swim off, All-Sunday glancing behind him.

“…That is a big turtle,” Usoppa said quietly, unsure what else to say.

Mr Nine fell to his knees. “I don’t know anything that’s going on in that man’s mind…”

“Yeah, well he’s not the only one we don’t understand,” Sora gave the blue-haired boy a look. “Start talking.”

“I’d kinda like an explanation too,” Usoppa agreed.

“Will the handsome Prince Nine be joining our crew?” Sanae asked lovingly.

Mr Nine looked up from his position on the ground. “I’m sorry… I’m putting you all in danger.”

“Oh, please.” Namizo poked him in the head. “Get over it. You’ve already put us in danger, so getting off won’t do us any good. And as pirates, just existing puts us in danger. Right, Luffi?”

“Right!” Luffi cracked her knuckles. “Sanae! Time for breakfast!”

Sanae shrugged. “Aye, aye, cap’n. But first, is the stunning Prince Nine joining our crew?”

“Um… please, call me Viv,” Mr Nine said sheepishly. “And I guess I’m coming along until we reach my kingdom…”

Namizo tugged the two girls aside and quickly gave them a brief overview of bounty hunters, conspiracies and kingdom takeovers. He added in that they had rescued Mr Nine/Viv from several high-powered agents, at which point an indignant Sora had snapped that Namizo hadn’t done any of the fighting. The general gist of the resulting argument was that Sora was furious at being blackmailed into doing it, especially after saving Namizo’s life barely an hour earlier, while Namizo dismissively pointed out that he _had_ dropped half of the debt in gratitude for the rescue, and had then dropped the rest of it in return for the protection of the Alabastan prince.

Usoppa decided she was glad she missed it. Sanae was just disappointed.

“Don’t worry so much,” Luffi said cheerfully, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “I’m sure there’ll be plenty of things to fight in the next island! This is the Grand Line, after all.”

Usoppa whimpered.

“Hopefully,” Sanae agreed, loosening Luffi’s arm but not throwing her off.

“So, can we have breakfast yet?”

“Sure.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments would be lovely.  
> Tell me if you thought Vivi would be genderbent or not?


	10. “This is Restaurant Le-Crap, May I Take Your Order?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, fem!Chopper isn’t in this chapter. Next one, though. And it’s a nice long chapter anyway, so hopefully that’ll make up for it.

Although the _Going Merry_ ’s bathroom had a lock, Sora was a little paranoid about someone bursting in on her while she was in the shower. In general, anything that might reveal her real gender to her friends made her paranoid.

She always had a shower either after everyone else had gone to bed, or in the mornings before anyone woke up, often both. Her hygiene habits skewed with her sleeping schedule but generally she could squeeze in a nap or two on the deck.

Sora slipped out of the shower and began pulling her clothes on. This particular shower was in the early morning. Sanae was the only other person who was awake, but she’d already washed and was busy preparing breakfast.

The swordsman was half dressed when a piercing scream echoed through the air.

Sora grabbed her outermost shirt and her swords, leaving her layers and binder on the floor as she flung open the door. In a minute she had raced up the stairs towards the galley.

“There had better be an assassin or something in there…” Sora snarled as she unlocked the door. If Sanae was after another rescue when she didn’t need one – well, she was _going_ to need a rescue.

The fact that the cook genuinely looked terrified was promising. The blonde girl was shaking, her face pale as she clutched at the table.

“Oi, cook! What’s the matter?” Sora asked sharply, a hand wrapped around a sword.

“Zoro!” Sanae’s eyes flickered to her and then back to the wall where she was fixated. “Get rid of it!”

“…What?” Sora followed her line of sight.

A small black blob was sitting on the wall.

“…It’s a cockroach.”

“Get it out!” Sanae whined. “Get it out get it out get it out!”

“It’s. A. _Cockroach_ ,” Sora repeated.

“I know it’s a cockroach!” Sanae’s voice was getting dangerously high. “Please, just get it out of here!”

“…We have declared war on one of the seven warlords of the sea and you’re afraid of a cockroach.”

“Zoro, for once would you please – it’s moving, it’s moving, stop it moving!” Sanae’s voice was climbing higher.

The bug did a little hop on the wall, its wings flittering.

Sora had to cover her ears as Sanae let out another high-pitched scream, scrambling backwards. “AAAIIIIEEEEEEEEE!”

“Alright, I’ll get it, I’ll get it!” Sora bellowed over the scream, her hands clasped tightly to the side of her head.

Sanae didn’t move, but her scream stopped. Instead she stood still, frozen in terror from the small bug.

Sora sighed. Usually, she would have taken her shoe off and splattered it, but she had been in the shower and had run up barefoot. What she did have were her swords.

Carefully, she brushed the cockroach between two swords, holding it in place like giant chopsticks.

Sanae scrambled out of her way as Sora stepped out of the galley. She flung the cockroach out to sea and resheathed her swords.

“Is it gone?” Sanae asked weakly as Sora stepped back into the room.

“Yeah. It’s gone,” Sora shrugged.

“Where?”

“Probably drowning.”

“Oh. Okay.” Sanae shivered, rubbing her arms “I just… hate bugs.”

“Fine. I don’t care,” Sora said. “Can I go get dressed now?”

“…Sure.” All of a sudden, Sanae had her usual lovestruck expression on her face. “Thank you _so_ much for rescuing me. You’re a real hero, Zoro!”

Sora gave her her deadliest look.

The chef’s smile melted off and she sighed, glancing at the ground. “Thanks,” she muttered. Her voice was sulkier, but it seemed more genuine then before.

“You’re welcome,” Sora said, a touch of sarcasm in her voice. She turned and walked off, muttering about not being an exterminator.

Sanae spent another ten minutes searching the galley in case the cockroach had friends, and then slowly started to cook breakfast, constantly glancing over her shoulder as if worried an army of cockroaches might be creeping up on her.

Cracking eggs into a bowl, she felt uncomfortable as it occurred to her just what had happened. It might not technically have been a life-threatening issue, but Zoro had saved her from a situation she desperately wanted out of. He was cute – nowhere near as cute as Namizo or Viv, but still cute – and normally a rescue was what she pretty much lived for, but she didn’t get that same delight from him anymore. They’d fought too often for that to last.

The problem was, Sanae didn’t quite know how to deal with that. She flirted with cute guys, and if they were trying to kill her she broke them in half. That had always worked just fine before now, but Zoro didn’t fit into either category.

She whisked the eggs perfectly, trying to figure it out. She supposed the closest relationship to what she had with Zoro was the type she’d had with most of the other chefs on Baratie. They argued and fought, but at the crux of the matter, were still on the same team. And while none of those had ever been particularly cute (on the odd occasion a cute guy her age _had_ signed up, she hadn’t fought with him) the principle was still the same.

So basically… she should just ignore the fact that he was kinda sorta cute and get into fights and arguments like she felt would be more natural. He wasn’t even that cute – heck, even though he’d been rescuing her, he hadn’t looked particularly manly when he ran in with his clothes haphazardly thrown on.

That still left the problem of her being ever-so-slightly in his debt for getting rid of the spider… 

If Sora noticed that her breakfast was bigger than it usually was, with additional spices to really bring up the taste, she didn’t say anything about it.

**_ X _ **

 “Hey, Zoro?” Sanae called, leaning over the deck. She had to fight to keep the automatic flirtatious smile off her face, instead trying to aim for friendly.

The green-haired swordsman in question glanced around. “Yeah?”

“Would you mind catching something while you’re out in the jungle? We’re almost out of meat.”

Sora glanced at the jungle and shrugged. “Sure. I’ll bring back something you wouldn’t have a chance to,” she agreed, walking towards the trees.

Suddenly it wasn’t that difficult to keep the smile off her face. “ _What_ was that?”

“Huh?”

“Did I hear you wrong?” Sanae asked. Her voice was layered with honey, but there was a deadly current underneath. “Or did you just imply you can catch bigger game than I can?”

 “Isn’t that obvious?” Sora asked dryly.

Sanae’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Then I challenge you to a hunt!”

In a minute she had leapt from the boat, spinning mid-air to land cat-like on the ground. “Whoever brings back the most kilograms wins.”

“Oh. That’s cute.” Sora’s mouth twitched patronisingly. “You’ll be bringing back kilos? I’ll be taking tonnes.”

“There’s no way you can beat me…” Sanae muttered, pushing into the jungle. Sora followed her through the path, splitting off at the next opportunity. In a moment they had been swallowed by the forest.

“Call her back,” Usoppa grabbed Namizo by the shoulder frantically. “Luffi and Viv have already gone!”

“Why can’t you call them back?” Namizo snapped, trying to hide his fear with anger.

“Because Sanae would listen to _you_!” Usoppa pointed out through chattering teeth. “She’d come back if you asked her to – make up something about wanting her nearby so you can rescue her if she gets in danger and then she’ll be able to rescue us!”

Namizo’s eyes widened with realisation as he glanced out to the jungle. To his dismay, though, there was no sign of Sanae, or Zoro for that matter.

The red-haired man bit his cheek. “Okay. So, it’s just us. I… I think that one of my books might have something about _Little Garden_ , though. Just give me a minute… I might be able to find something out.”

Meanwhile, Sanae was stumbling through the forest, muttering under her breath. “Stupid swordsman… thinks he can catch something bigger than me… he’s not even that cute…”

She paused, resting a hand on a tree. “That’s weird… feels like Namizo just screamed my name…” she said to herself, a soppy smile crossing her face. “Aaaw. He must be so worried about me in this dangerous place. If he wants, I’ll let him rescue me when I get back.”

‘ _GGGGRRRROOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!_ ’

Sanae’s head snapped up to see a giant scaled creature roaring at her. It was approximately the size of the Going Merry, with a disproportionate head and rows of razor sharp teeth…

“A _tyrannosaurus rex?!_ ” Sanae blurted, her jaw falling open.

The dinosaur snapped at her, the teeth moving fast to get her.

Sanae’s foot hit it in the throat, throwing it backwards.

A flicker of a smile crossed her face. Sanae brushed strands of hair from her one visible eye, calmly observing the dinosaur. “I’d like to see that idiot swordsman beat this…”

Two hours later, she was sitting on the side of the _Going Merry_ , wondering where everyone was.

With a shrug, she slid down the lifeless tail of the T-Rex, landing on the ground. “Maybe I’m in danger here, and Namizo and Viv are waiting for me to find them so they can save me…” she said thoughtfully. She didn’t notice that she was finally dismissing ‘Zoro’ from her idealised ‘Prince Charming’ vision. “I guess I’d better go looking…”

Whistling a love song she had learnt from one of the musicians who had occasionally sought jobs at Baratie– the record was a fortnight before they had run off – she pushed through the jungle.

“ _And all the gentlemen waiting with their la-dies_ ,” Sanae progressed to singing the lyrics as she reached a clearing. She stopped, frowning at the strange box sitting in the middle.

Kicking down the door was almost too easy. Sanae stepped in to find the box was a house, fully equipped, if designed to be temporary.

“Hmm… maybe I can wait here. After all, I’m totally lost in this dark forest, and when Namizo comes to rescue me, I don’t want to make it too difficult for him by moving,” Sanae mused, moving to the kitchen. She pushed aside the little voice in her head reminding her that she knew exactly where she was and how to get back.

She had already started boiling water when the phone started ringing.

She paused, and then took a step towards it, picking up the transponder snail. “This is restaurant Le-Crap, may I take your order?” she parroted the words that had been the reason she was banned from transponder snails at Baratie.

 _“Very funny,_ ” the voice responded flatly, cool and deadly. “ _This is Mister Zero. Have you succeeded?_ ”

Sanae stiffened, holding the transponder snail to her ear. _Wasn’t that the guy Viv said was after his kingdom?_

“ _It’s been some time since I gave you your orders, Mr Three,_ ” Mr Zero continued silkily. “ _What is your status?_ ”

Sane felt several thoughts race through her head at breakneck speed. Apparently she was in the base of a Baroque Works member, was talking to one of the seven warlords of the sea, and he had mistaken her for said Baroque Works worker.

“ _Why are you being silent?_ ” Mr Zero asked. “ _Have you or have you not successfully executed Prince Viv and the Straw Hats yet?_ ”

Sanae put two and two together, and reached the conclusion that there was most likely a Baroques Works agent screaming for mercy from the rest of the Straw Hats. Right now, however, she had to deal with Crocodile.

Making a split second decision, Sanae coughed into her hand, trying to deepen her voice. “Yes, I’ve succeeded,” she said, attempting to sound like a man. “Everyone who knew your secret is dead. There is no need for further pursuit.”

“ _Excellent,_ ” Mr Zero said, his voice sleek. “ _The Unluckies will be there momentarily with an Eternal Pose to Alabasta. Once you receive it, come straight here. You will receive further instructions then._ ”

_SKRAWK!_

Sanae glanced up immediately to see… an otter and a vulture, both staring at her under their Baroque Works uniform. “What…?”

“ _What is it?_ ”

“Nothing…  gah!”

The vulture flashed in, wings beating heavily. Sanae leaped to the side, her leg coming up.

“Trying to kill me, huh? Good luck with that,” Sanae snarled, kicking out. Her shoe connected with the otter, throwing it hard into the wax house.

The vulture let out a scream of rage, streaking towards her.

Sanae ducked under it, and then kicked at its body. The vulture fluttered backwards for a moment, before a spinning kick from Sanae twisted it’s neck.

The cook didn’t even pause for a moment, grabbing the transponder snail again. “Sorry about that.”

_“What happened?”_

“Nothing, just…” Sanae took a second to catch her breath, trying to speak like a guy. She hadn’t realised how difficult it was to sound natural and deep. “One of the Straw Hats was clinging to life. Don’t worry though, I finished her off.”

There was a moment of silence. “ _One of them was… still alive? You gave me a false report?_ ”

“Uh, I guess, but it’s alright,” Sanae said, noticing the sudden darkness in the tone. “She was just a little more tenacious than I thought. Don’t worry, she’s dead. There’s absolutely no need for any more pursuit.”

“… _Fine,_ ” Mr Zero said slowly. “ _Head for Alabasta right away. I won’t contact you again as I can’t risk interception. Orders shall hereafter be delivered traditionally. I will see you soon, Mr Three._ ”

The transponder snail hung up abruptly.

Sanae slowly got to her feet, carefully hanging up. She nudged the prone vulture with her foot. “What even were these things… hmm?”

A small Log Pose rolled from the claws of the vulture.

It took her ten minutes after that to track down the rest of her crew. “Namizo! Viv! Did you miss me?”

“Now she shows up…” Usoppa muttered bitterly.

“Hey, Sanae!” Luffi waved happily.

Sanae froze as she realised that there was a literal giant leaning on the side of a tree. He was probably taller than the T-Rex she had lying dead by the ship. “Is that Mr Three?!”

“No – you know about Mr Three?” Namizo asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Yeah, I…” Sanae trailed off as she fully saw him.

Namizo was standing shirtless in front of her, revealing a toned figure.

Sanae took a moment to glance around. Viv was similarly shirtless, which also made Sanae’s breath hitch. Usoppa was fully clothed but Luffi was only wearing her bra, with a couple of burnt scraps of her vest clinging on.

Somewhat to Sanae’s disappointment, Zoro was still wearing his clothes despite them being significantly singed. He had, however, cut his singlet so that his biceps were bare. Sanae’s eyes trailed where his shirt pressed against his stomach to reveal a very muscular figure.

Okay, he was still hot no matter how annoying he got. Sanae wondered what it would take before he actually took his shirt off… maybe if they went swimming one day…

“You know, you could finish your sentence,” Sora said sharply, shifting uncomfortably as she realised where Sanae was looking.

“Not like we have a lack of time to fill each other in,” Namizo sighed, running a hand through his hair. “We’re here for a year.”

Sanae blinked. “We are?”

“The Log Pose won’t reset for a year,” Usoppa muttered, chewing on the side of her cheek.

“Well, I should probably mention that I picked this up…” Sanae reached into her pocket, holding out the Eternal Pose. “Do we still have unfinished business or…?”

Every single Straw Hat pirate and Viv stared at her in shock, jaws falling open. Even Karoo let out a stunned quack.

“An Eternal Pose to Alabasta!” Namizo shouted triumphantly, punching the air.

“We can set sail!” Luffi laughed.

Viv hugged her tightly. “Thank you so much, Sanae! You’re amazing!”

“You’re welcome…” Sanae said, her eyes lighting up with delight. “I didn’t think it would make you that happy…”

“We should celebrate!” Luffi shouted, grinning. “Have we got anything to eat?”

“Oh,” Sanae glanced at Sora. “Well, I don’t know about him, but I certainly caught enough to keep us fed for a while.”

“I’m pretty sure I won that challenge,” Sora countered, holding her arms out. “I caught a rhino ‘bout thiiiis big.”

“Can you even eat rhinos?” Usoppa asked.

Luffi grinned, saluting the giants, which Sanae hadn’t realised were plural. “Alright giants, we’ll be heading out soon!”

One of the giants grinned. “That’s a shame, but we won’t ask you to stay any longer.”

“See ya! Don’t die again!” Luffi shouted, waving as they walked back.

“I’ll be going to Elbaf one day!” Usoppa shouted. 

“My catch is definitely bigger than yours,” Sanae muttered.

“Sure it is, honey,” Sora said. It took a moment before she wondered if even a patronising term of endearment was dangerous when talking to Sanae, but from the irritated expression, it had the right effect.

The cook’s scowl only deepened when the two actually started comparing their catches.

“Mine is clearly larger!” Sora shouted, gesturing to the triceratops she had killed.

“Are you blind? It’s obviously mine!” Sanae pointed to the T-Rex.

“They both look pretty tasty,” Luffi commented.

“You stay out of it!”

“Could you please stop bickering?” Namizo asked, glancing at the Eternal Log Pose Sanae had given him.

“Of course, Namizo!” Sanae said immediately, smiling soppily at him.

“Hey, Usoppa, mine’s obviously bigger, right?” Sora called to the black-haired girl.

“Hmm? I don’t really care, honestly.”

Viv sighed. “You’ve tied, alright?”

“We can’t tie! It’s a contest!” Sora snapped.

“Well… you did,” Luffi said lightly. “Come on, the _real_ important question is: how much meat can we get on board?”

**_ X _ **

“You convinced Mr Zero that you were a guy?” Sora said sceptically. “I guess the transponder snail was faulty.”

Sanae had just finished explaining how she got the Eternal Pose as the crew sat on their ship, leaving Little Garden. Her explanation had been cut in half by the arrival of a fish bigger than the island, but once they literally got through it, she’d calmly finished the story like nothing had happened.

Now she gave a dirty look to the swordsman. “I can be a very convincing guy if I need to be.”

Sora raised an eyebrow. “I doubt that. Your voice is way too high.”

Sanae glowered. “Are you sure about that?” she said in the deepest voice she could manage, then coughed into her hand. “I’m better at it then you are, at least,” she continued, still trying to sound male.

Sora burst into laughter. “You really think that you can sound like a guy better than me?” she asked in a perfect imitation of a man. She’d spent over four years working on her voice, and the past few months speaking almost entirely in it.

“Better than you can sound like a girl, anyway,” Sanae snapped.

Sora grinned wickedly. At times, she almost forgot that her crewmates still thought she was a boy.

She massaged her throat for a moment, and then shrugged. “So what exactly do you want me to say?” she asked in her female voice.

It took a surprisingly level of effort to stop her voice from deepening again after the first few words.

Everyone but Namizo, who was cradling his head from a splitting headache, gave a startled look towards her. They had expected maybe a falsetto, not a genuine girl’s voice. Most of them had heard the voice enough to be familiar – half-asleep grumblings or with true anger, mainly – but they would probably have been more suspicious if she could change her voice to be completely unfamiliar.

“That was… pretty impressive…” Usoppa said slowly, hoping that was the reaction her friend was hoping for. She loved to show off her own various talents, and guessed that praise was what most people were looking for when they did.

“Thank you,” Sora said, with more perkiness in her female voice then she ever would naturally have. It had almost gotten to the point where she wasn’t sure how to speak as a girl anymore.

Although it did feel nice not to have to stretch her vocal cords. Sora wondered if she was doing permanent damage to her throat with her false voice.

“Zoro?” Luffi looked at her, cocking her head to the side.

“Yeah?”

“That’s… that’s _awesome!_ Can I do that?”

Sora coughed into her fist, trying to switch her voice back to an approximation of male. “You can try, I guess,” she said in her usual-if-not-natural voice.

“Alright! Let’s see…” Luffi thought for a moment. “Hah! I am a boy! I am speaking like a man! Hah!” she shouted in a horrible voice. “Did I do it?” she asked eagerly in her usual voice.

“Hmm… no,” Sora said honestly.

Luffi pouted.

“Ah, but I, Captain Usoppa, am a woman – no, a man of many talents!” Usoppa called, her voice dropping. She was better than Luffi and Sanae, but nowhere near genuinely convincing.

Viv hid a smile behind his hand.

Luffi, as oblivious as she usually was to anything else, never missed something like that. “Come on, Viv, how do you sound as a girl? You know you wanna try it.”

“No, no,” Viv laughed, holding his hands up. “I could never be as good as you guys-”

“Come on,” Luffi implored.

“Yeah, come on, Viv!” Sanae called, taking a breath of her cigarette. “I’m sure you’ll be amazing!”

Viv hesitated for another moment, and then smiled. “Okay. Hi, I’m the princess of Alabasta,” he said in a falsetto.

“You’re the most beautiful princess I’ve ever seen,” Sanae said, trying to drop her voice a few notches and flirt as a boy.

“Thanks…” Viv smiled sheepishly at the ground.

Luffi grinned at the navigator, who was still resting on the table. “Hey, Namizo! Join in!”

“Huh? Oh… okay,” Namizo said weakly. He rubbed his forehead. “Hello, I’m… I’m… Nami, and I’m…” he struggled to say in a girlish voice.

Then the red-haired boy dropped to the ground, breathing heavily.

“Namizo?”

“Namizo!”

Viv was the first there, checking his pulse. Nervously, he placed the back of his palm on Namizo’s forehead. “He’s burning up.”

“What?”

“Is Namizo going to die?”

“Of course he’s not!”

Viv looked up sharply. “Does anyone know anything about medicine?”

Everyone’s eyes trailed to Namizo.

Viv rubbed a hand across his forehead. “Okay. Mr Bushido, will you help me carry him to the boy’s room?”

“Sure.” Sora jumped forwards, cradling the guy in question.

Viv led the way to the boys room. Sora and Namizo followed closely behind, with the rest of the strawhats nervously after them. “Is Namizo gonna die?” Sanae asked frantically as Sora placed the sick crewmate down with more gentleness than she had used in years.

Viv checked his temperature again. “It must be the climate. Everyone who enters the Grand Line gets sick at some point because it’s so unpredictable.”

The prince pulled the back of his hand off from Namizo’s forehead. “No matter how strong a pirate… this type of illness can still take lives.”

The blue-haired boy looked around at the pirates. “Is Namizo really the _only_ one who has any kind of medical knowledge here?”

“I think we’ve got a first aid kit in the bathroom, I’ll get that!” Usoppa called, already out of the door.

“I know that meat gets people better!” Luffi said cheerily. Her smile wasn’t as broad as it usually was, tinged with worry, but it was close enough to be recognisably Luffi’s grin. “Right, Sanae?”

Sanae rubbed the back of her head. “I’ll be making him every meal I know that might help, but… that’ll barely count as nursing. I really don’t think meat is going to be a magic cure.”

She sighed, looking at the unconscious boy. “Besides, I put in a hundred times more effort in preparing food for Viv and Namizo.  As long as I’m this ship’s cook, there aren’t going to be any illnesses caused by the diet. Whatever this is has nothing to do with what he’s been eating.”

Usoppa ran into the room. “I got the first aid kit. I don’t know what good it’ll do, but-”

“That’s fine.” Viv took the pack and rummaged through it. He pulled out a small thermometer and placed it into Namizo’s mouth.

“Forty degrees!” The prince’s jaw dropped. “This is… this is really bad. We need to get him some real medical attention!”

“How long will it take to get us to Alabasta?” Sora asked.

“At least a week.” Viv swallowed.

“Is it really that bad?” Luffi asked curiously.

“A forty degree fever could be fatal!” Viv said sharply.

“ _What?!_ ”

“Namizo’s gonna die?!”

“Uuuhh…” Namizo groaned, his eyes flickering open. He shifted uncomfortably. “Noisy…”

“He got better!” Luffi cheered.

“He said we were being too noisy! Shut up!” Sanae’s foot thudded into the top of Luffi’s head.

“V… Viv,” Namizo said weakly. “There’s… a newspaper. On my desk…”

“Huh?” Viv glanced around, then walked over to the desk.

He picked up the newspaper in question, still shooting nervous glances over his shoulder at the red-haired boy as he opened the first page.

“ _No_ …” Viv breathed, sinking to his knees. “No, no, no… three hundred _thousand_ royal soldiers… joined the rebel forces?”

The prince’s arms gave out as he dropped the newspaper, cradling his head. “That… that means that the rebels outnumber the guards… and the royal army won’t be able to fight it…”

Namizo struggled to sit up. “Alabasta needs its prince now…”

“And you need a doctor more,” Usoppa told her.

Namizo glanced at the thermometer lying on his pillow. “That’s… that’s old anyway. I’m not that bad off… just caught heatstroke or something…”

He got to his feet, wavering as he did so. “We stay on course… but thanks for worrying…”

“Of course I’ll worry! Who else would save us when we get into danger?” Sanae asked immediately, her eyes bright with what might have been tears.

“So, he’s okay now?” Luffi asked.

“He’s faking it,” Usoppa corrected her, frowning.

“I…” Viv closed his eyes tightly. “I need to get back…” he whispered. “It’s not enough just to be alive anymore… there’ll be a war if I can’t get there soon…”

“That’s why we need to stay…” Namizo grabbed the door frame. “… on course… who’s keeping track of the Log Pose?”

“Uh…”

The navigator sighed, stumbling outside. “The… the weather’s changing…” he said, grabbing the railing to support himself. “Someone… we need to go south… lower the sails to catch portside wind… there’s a wind coming…”

“Sure thing, Namizo!” Luffi said, already running off to follow the orders. Sanae was right behind her. Usoppa gave Namizo an appraising look, before jogging off.

“You probably should rest,” Sora said sharply as she started to follow the others. “You won’t help Alabasta or Viv if you get worse…”

“I’m fine!” Namizo snapped. The effect was ruined by the break in his voice.

Viv stepped out of the door. “We have to get to Alabasta as soon as possible,” he said quietly, pushing a strand of blue hair out of his face.

“Exactly…” Namizo nodded, sweat shining on his brow.

Viv glanced at him, and then turned back to the other Straw Hats. “So, I have a request. I know it’s not my place, but we need to go faster than ever before. That’s the only way we’ll be able to find a doctor and still get to Alabasta in time.”

“But… we promised…” Namizo began.

Viv smiled at him. “The only way we’ll actually be going the fastest we can is if the navigator is at full strength.”

“Well said,” Sora smirked. “I like your guts.”

“I think I’m falling in love all over again…” Sanae said dreamily.

“Guys!” Luffi shrieked, her voice shrill. “Look!”

_Whooooo **oooooOOOOSSSHHHHH!**_

“It’s a cyclone!” Usoppa shrieked, staring at the twirling rage of weather in horror.

“Get us moving faster!” Sora shouted, running for the sails.

“Oohh…” Namizo dropped, holding onto the railing tightly.

Viv caught his other arm, trying to pull him up. The navigator didn’t struggle, simply holding on.

The prince gave him a curious look.

_If he hadn’t told us to change course, we’d be in the middle of that cyclone right now. I’ve never even heard of anyone who could predict one on the Grand Line…_

“Let’s keep going south!” Luffi shouted, punching the air even as she grabbed hold of the mast. “To find a doctor for Namizo!”

The ship rung with the assent of the Straw Hats.

“Yeah!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A drop of character development for Sanae! Yay!  
> Admittedly not a lot, but she’s still Sanji. As much as I wanted to, her stopping fawning over men would be OOC. But she’s getting better.  
> Reviews, comments and kudos would be absolutely lovely.


	11. "You're A Fairly Perceptive Prince, You Know That?"

**Chapter Eleven: “You’re a fairly perceptive prince, you know that?”**

Sora rubbed Karoo’s feather’s lightly as the duck nudged her. “Yeah, yeah. Relax. Everything’ll be fine.”

She took a breath of the sharp cold air, glancing at the snow falling around her.

Everyone else had left the ship once they docked at the island. The locals had arrived, threatened and therefore hostile towards the pirates, but for the first time Viv had truly managed to show his political skills. It only took five minutes for the Straw Hats to be allowed ashore, with a promise to take them to a doctor.

Sora had stayed behind to guard the ship. Karoo had similarly stayed, probably because Viv couldn’t take him with him.

“Hey, duck?” Sora said, chewing the side of her cheek. “Can you keep a secret?”

“Quack.”

“That’s what I thought.” Sora smirked. She pulled off her outer shirt, and then most of the layers underneath, revealing nothing but her binder.

“Quack?” If it was possible for a duck to look surprised, this one did.

“Hmm…” Sora tugged on the binder in question. She glanced around the deserted ship.

_I hate swimming in this thing…_

She slipped off to her chest of drawers in the boy’s room, digging through it. After a minute she found a disused sports bra buried deep within the confines of her clothes, brought in preparation for situations like this the last time she went clothes shopping.

It wasn’t swimwear, but on the other hand it didn’t actively reduce lung capacity. Sora changed into the bra, neatly hiding away her binder with the other ones.

Karoo watched in surprise and confusion as she walked over to the side of the ship, observing the water.

“I think I’m going to do some meditating while swimming in the icy water,” Sora told the duck, climbing over the railing. “Training by lifting heavier and heavier weights is getting dull.”

She wasn’t entirely sure why she felt the need to justify herself to a duck. Maybe the fact she had just shared her secret with it had created some sort of bond, or maybe it was just that the poor bird looked absolutely stunned. Karoo may never have actually thought about her gender to begin with, but he might as well have an explanation as to why she was half-naked in this weather.

Sora shrugged, and then dove into the water.

The water was actually several degrees warmer than the air above. Sora kicked through the water, occasionally glancing up to take a breath.

_I must get stronger. I must get stronger. I must get – fuck it’s cold – I must get stronger._

A small fish ran past her fingers. Sora glimpsed it barely, the water stinging her eyes.

She paused for a moment, then started to follow it, forcing herself to ignore the freezing temperatures. _I must get stronger. I must get stronger, I must get stronger, Imustgetstronger_.

Her head broke the surface again, taking another gulp of the frigid air.

She took a moment to get her bearings, the cold wind stinging her face. Trees grew around her, dark green against the white snow.

All in all, not having a clue where she was happened to be a fairly common experience for her.

Sora’s bare feet dug deep into the snow as she walked into the trees. _Part of my training, part of my training, part of my training._

She wished she’d cut her hair recently. The freezing water collecting on her hair would have been easier to deal with if her hair didn’t reach all the way to the top of her neck. But for some reason, keeping her hair short seemed less important on the _Going Merry._

Her head whipped around as she heard voices.

It was the only direction she had – she’d barely taken three steps before she lost the river – so she followed them.

A flash of blue hair darted through the trees, pulling along another figure. “There’s gotta be something nearby…” a familiar male voice said reassuringly.

“Viv?”

“…Zoro?”

Sora pushed through the trees, icy brittles snapping off against her bare skin. “H-hey,” she said through teeth she hadn’t realised were chattering. “What are you d-doing here, Viv… and Usoppa?”

Her arms were already hugging herself across her chest, instinctively trying to keep heat. Now there was someone there, though, she shifted her arms more, trying to cover as much of her bra as she could.

“Zoro?” Usoppa said, blinking at her. “What are you – aren’t you cold?”

“Yes,” Sora said flatly, shivering. “It’s… it’s part of my training…”

“What happened?” Viv asked, his eyes wide.

“I went swimming… and I got lost…” Sora admitted.

“ _Swimming?_ ” Viv repeated incredulously, his eyes running down Sora’s shirtless figure.

The prince’s eyes fastened on the straps across Sora’s shoulders and the parts of material Sora wasn’t able to cover.

For a moment he looked uncomprehending, then realisation, then shock spread over his face as he clapped a gloved hand to his mouth.  

Sora met his eyes, her cheeks growing hot.

Viv slowly pulled his hand away from his face, a question bright in his eyes. And then, to Sora’s immense relief, he shrugged and gave her an accepting smile.

Usoppa didn’t seem to have noticed anything. She was staring at Sora’s hair, possibly fascinated by the ice crisping there, and was determinedly not looking at Sora’s body.

Sora shivered. “Hey, can I borrow one of your coats?” she asked, rubbing her arms.

“No way!” Usoppa shook her head.

“…Just _one_ shoe, then?”

“No,” Usoppa scowled. “You did this to yourself, you can deal with the consequences.”

“It’s Big Horn!” Viv shouted, pointing ahead. “We reached the village again!”

He raced off in the direction of the village. Startled, Usoppa followed, Sora just behind, still trying to shake off the droplets clinging to her hair. It was proving to be a challenge as the remainder had genuinely frozen.

The swordsman stopped at the nearest villager, shifting from foot to foot. “What’s going on?”

“Why aren’t you wearing anything?” the villager demanded her in shock.

He grimaced, and pointed at the side of a hill. “Mr Dolton is buried in the snow, but those people are preventing us from helping him!”

“Mr Dolton?!” Viv repeated, paling. Usoppa covered her mouth with her hand in horror.

Sora had no idea who Dolton was, but had more than enough experience in fighting to tell that the soldiers standing there were the ones preventing him from getting help.

“Say – aren’t those the pirates that attacked us before?” she asked as the nearest one stepped forwards, waving his gun.

“Stand back, peasants!”

“Those who defy our king must die!”

“Leave! Dolton is dead!”

“Yes, that’s them,” Usoppa answered, her eyes locked on the guns pointing at them.

“Right. And that means they’re definitely our enemies?”

“Yes… why?”

Sora didn’t answer, instead choosing to leap forwards, going straight for the nearest soldier.

It took only one solid punch before the man collapsed.

“Mr Bushido!” Viv put his hand to his mouth in shock.

“Stop it!” one of the villagers shrieked.

“They’ll kill you if you fight them!” another howled.

Sora blatantly ignored them, grabbing the man by the back of the neck. In a swift movement, his heavy fur coat was pulled off him as the dazed man dropped to the ground.

The female swordsman pulled on the clothes in a moment. “It’s so warm!” she said happily, her voice going higher in what was most certainly _not_ a squeal.

“ _You punched out one of Wapol’s soldier’s for clothes?!_ ” a villager screamed.

“Kill him!” one of the other soldiers screeched.

“Yeah, get her, men!”

Sora’s lips curled up in a smirk. “Who’s first, then?”

They didn’t attack one at a time, instead choosing to move forwards as a group. Sora ducked under the first blow to the head, kicking another man’s feet out from under him.

As he stumbled to the ground, Sora stepped further, grabbing his sword from his sheathe as he fell.

The moment her fingers curled around a sword, the battle was more or less already won.

“Wow…” Viv whispered, impressed as the final opponent collapsed in a heap.

“Excellent job following my orders, Zoro!” Usoppa called.

Sora rolled her eyes. “So who were these people, anyway?” she asked, dropping the swords.

“Thank you so much!” one of the villagers called as she ran over the unconscious bodies.

“Come on, let’s save Mr Dolton!”

“Who’s this Dolton guy?” Sora asked curiously as she pulled off the boots of the nearest slumped foe. His feet were several sizes too big for her, but the warmth was pure bliss.

“We’ll tell you after we save him,” Usoppa said, already running off to join the villagers.

Sora shrugged. “Okay.”

“We found him!” a villager shouted, pulling a heavily cloaked figure out of the snow.

“That’s great!” Viv sighed in relief.

Apparently ‘Dolton’ was injured and freezing, which inspired a group of doctors to help fix him. All of which would have been fine if Sora hadn’t already gotten the picture only one person on the island had any medical skills.

She wouldn’t particularly care, but if the doctors here already outnumbered the expectancy on the island, she was worried as to who was taking care of Namizo.

Eventually, Usoppa pulled her aside and gave a quiet and overdue explanation as to what was going on. Luffi and Sanae had started climbing a mountain to track down the one doctor supposed to be left on the island, who _wasn’t_ part of the group helping Dolton. That group were apparently corrupt, but had defended themselves as simply obeying a man named Wapol that scared them, which was more forgivable.

Now Viv slipped his covered hands into his jacket. “Maybe we should follow them up the mountain. With Wapol here, we don’t even know if they found Dr. Kureha.”

Usoppa glanced at him and gave him a reassuring smile. “And you’re also worrying about Mr Dolton and Alabasta, too, right? Calm down. You’ve seen how Luffi and Sanae can fight. They’ll be fine.”

Viv stared at her, surprised. Then slowly a smile crossed his face again. “You’re right. Thank you-”

“You’re just scared to go up the mountain, aren’t you?” Sora said flatly.

Usoppa rounded on her. “Of course I’m scared! Not everyone’s ready to go charging up a mountain filled with flesh eating rabbits and snow monsters like you! Besides, I do trust them! They’ll be fine!”

“Next time, say what you mean.” Sora folded her arms as shouts came from behind them.

“Mr Dolton!”

“Please, you can’t move yet!”

“Enough!” a rough male voice shouted over the villagers. The Straw Hats glanced over to see Dolton had struggled to his feet. “This is… this is my only chance to fight them!”

He took a deep breath, the look in his eyes wild. “If we don’t fight now, our country will be lost forever!”

A strange, considering look crossed Usoppa’s face. Then the black-haired girl stormed forwards, standing in front of the man. “Come on. I’ll carry you up the mountain.”

There was a moment of silence.

“I… Thank you,” Dolton said weakly, struggling to stand up straight. “But you… you can’t carry me.”

“What? You don’t think a woman can do it?” Usoppa snapped. “I’ll have you know that – that when I was three years old I once carried an entire village on my shoulders, up the side of the tallest mountain in the world!”

“It’s nothing to do with your gender…” Dolton said, but was too diplomatic to finish the sentence, or perhaps having too much trouble breathing.

Sora’s mouth twitched slightly. She knew the man was being honest – his doubt that Usoppa could manage it was not because she was a girl but because she was Usoppa. And it was probably an accurate assumption.

The swordsman shrugged and walked forwards. In a moment she had caught the big man, holding him over his shoulder. “We’re wasting time. We need to climb the mountain, right?”

“Hey! What are you doing?” Usoppa snapped as Sora easily carried him. “This was my moment!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

“Wait!” a villager shouted, running forwards.

“Hmm?” Sora glanced around.

“We’ll make a lift. Give us half an hour. It’ll be far quicker than climbing.”

“We don’t even have a rope!” another villager protested.

“Actually, there’s one long enough that we found in Gyasta.”

“That was the last place Dr. Kureha visited,” Usoppa whispered.

Sora slowly put Dolton down, allowing him to use her as a support until he steadied on his feet.

Half an hour later, she, Usoppa, Viv, Dolton and every single possible fighter in the village were exiting the newly repaired lift.

“You can let go any time you want, you know,” Sora said flatly, trying to pry Usoppa off her legs.

“Then sometime after we get back down?”

Sora groaned. “You’re almost as bad as that stupid cook.”

“I am not! Sanae _wants_ a man to rescue her, I _need_ **any** one to rescue me!” Usoppa protested.

“Then why don’t you just go back and wait at the village if you’re that scared?”

“I’m not scared!”

The argument was cut off from a figure soaring through the air. Luffi collided with Sora violently, knocking her backwards.

“Oof!”

“Not another one!” Luffi snarled, drawing back her fist.

“You hit me and I’ll hit back, _captain_ ,” Sora growled.

“…Uh, Zoro?” Luffi’s fist relaxed. She burst into laughter. “Hey! I thought you were one of them because you’re wearing one of their coats!”

“It was warmer than the one I had,” Sora muttered. It was technically true, if abridged. “Are you going to get off me yet?”

“Huh? Oh, sure.” Luffi scrambled off, jumping to her feet. “So what are you guys doing here? I thought you couldn’t hike, Usoppa?”

Usoppa laughed. “You know how strong I am, a mere _mountain_ can’t stop me-”

“We took a lift,” Viv interrupted. “Is Namizo alright? What about Sanae? Where’s she?”

Luffi grinned. “They’re both okay.”

“That’s good. What about Wapol and his henchmen?”

“I sent Wapol flying,” Luffi grinned, hitting her palm with her fist. “And the reindeer took care of the rest.”

“Reindeer?” Sora repeated.

“Oh, yeah! By the way, we’ve got a new crewmate,” Luffi grinned. “She’s really cool – she’s got _seven_ different transformations, like a story book hero!”

Dolton swallowed, glancing over to where he could see a small figure trying to hide the wrong way behind a tree.

It was hard to tell exactly what species she was, but he knew she was meant to be a reindeer. The pink hat and the bright yellow ribbon were quite memorable, with a flowery sundress covering her furry body.

He paused, and then bowed deeply to the startled reindeer. “Thank you for fighting for our country, ma’am.”

The reindeer blinked, and slowly moved out of the cover.

“Hey! What is that thing?” one of the villagers shouted, reaching for his weapon.

The reindeer jumped backwards immediately, cowering.

“Don’t!” Dolton snapped. “Don’t do anything to her!”

“Yeah!” Luffi snapped. “You hurt our new crewmate and I’ll send you flying too!”

“Uh… we have a reindeer on our crew now?” Sora asked her, cocking her head to the side.

“Yeah. So?”

Sora considered the question, and then shrugged. “Fine by me.”

**_ X _ **

The reindeer was called Toni Toni Choppa. Apparently she was a real reindeer, but had eaten the human-human fruit and developed transformational powers. She wore a faded pink hat over her horns, had a bright yellow ribbon tied to one antler, and a fluttering sundress that would do nothing against the cold but a reindeer wouldn’t need it.

The moment they got back onto the _Going Merry,_ a celebration had started. They’d defeated an evil king, saved an island, healed Namizo and gotten a new crewmate, all in the same two days.

Viv stayed out of the party, choosing instead to fix blankets warmly around Karoo. “Why did you jump into the freezing cold water?” he asked, rubbing him.

“ _Quack!_ ”

“Umm… he said that he saw Zoro jump into the water, so tried to save him,” Choppa said quietly, shifting uncomfortably as all eyes turned to her. “But he started to freeze once he got in.”

“So this is _your_ fault!” Namizo punched Sora’s shoulder.

“I never told the duck to follow me!” Sora snapped, rubbing the shoulder in question. In truth, part of her was just glad to see Namizo well enough to be able to throw a punch.

“So you can understand what Karoo says, Miss Toni?” Viv asked, a smile on his face. “That’s great!”

“Seems like you’re more than just a doctor, then,” Namizo grinned at her.

“Wait – she’s a doctor?” Luffi asked, her eyes wide. “I thought she was just joining us cause she has seven totally awesome transformations!”

“You’re being stupid,” Namizo groaned as the party began again.

“And now, I will tell you the story of how I, Usoppa the great, single-handedly took out the rest of the army of King Wapol!”

“Hey, Sanae! Have we got any more of that dinosaur meat?”

“Yeah, it’s on the table!”

“Let’s have a toast to our new doctor, Choppa!”

Viv and Sora both moved to the table at the same time, brushing just past Luffi as she tried to alternate between stuffing her face and playing stupid games with Choppa.

“Oh, sorry,” Sora moved aside a little so that Viv could reach one of the few skewers of meat that Luffi had yet to take.

“No problem,” Viv smiled, reaching around. “Thank you, _Mister_ Bushido.”

The extra emphasis Viv put on the male title made Sora pause, her hands curled around her tankard of beer.

She remembered seeing Viv’s eyes lock on the barely visible bra straps after she’d gone swimming, and the look or realisation that flashed over his face.

For a moment she just looked at him, taking in that knowing and absolutely _accepting_ smile, and finally her own lips twitched. “You’re a fairly perceptive prince, you know that?”

Viv inclined his head and shrugged modestly. 

There was a moment of silence as Viv turned to join the party again.

“You’re not entirely correct, though.”

“Hmm?” Viv looked around.

Sora froze, wondering where the words had come from. She hadn’t actually planned on saying them. She’d wanted to sweep the matter under the rug and just _not discuss it_.

Apparently her tongue disagreed.

She swallowed. Might as well get it over with. “You’re wrong, though.”

Viv looked at her, and then nodded, deciding that he was sure he did know what that was supposed to mean. “Okay. I’m sorry. What do you prefer?”

Sora bit her lip. “Um… female.”

Viv looked at her, slightly surprised, but shrugged. “No problem, _Miss_ Bushido, then.”

Sora cringed. “Actually,” she said weakly, rubbing the back of her neck. “Could you… keep it a secret?”

“I… okay. Do you mind if I ask why?”

Sora reached across the table for the keg, even though her own cup was still half full. She just didn’t want to have to look at the prince at the moment. “It was just easier to act like a boy,” she admitted.

Viv was silent for a moment, and then nodded. “Well… okay.”

He wondered how long Zoro – if that was even her name – was planning on hiding it from the rest of the crew. But that was her business. She’d tell the others when she wanted to.

With a shrug, the Alabastan Prince went and re-joined the party.

 


	12. "Someone Call A Doctor!"

**Chapter Twelve: “Someone call a doctor!”**

A piercing scream rang out over the deck.

“Wha- what?” Sora sat up, jerked out of her nap. She jumped to her feet, scanning around.

Usoppa was frantically trying to save the formula she had spilt when the scream had split the air. Luffi was clutching desperately onto the figure-head, having almost fallen off her favourite seat.

“What is it?” Choppa asked frantically. The little reindeer was shaking as she (badly) hid behind the mast. “Is it Baroque Works? Is it bandits? Is it-”

Sora was already heading for the kitchen. Her sword was half drawn as she stepped in. “Sanae, this had better not be another cockroach.”

“No! Worse! Spider!” Sanae squeaked, pointing at the wall. “Kill it! Kill it!”

Sora looked at the arachnid, and then back to the cook. “No.”

“What?!” Sanae shrieked. “Kill it!”

“Kill it yourself,” Sora muttered, turning around again.

“Wait!” Sanae ran for the door, pushing past Sora.

The cook shoved Sora out of the way and frantically slammed the door shut behind them.

Sora snorted. “I think it’s trapped.”

“I know it’s trapped!” Sanae snapped, peering nervously in through the galley window. “Can you _please_ go in and kill it?”

“I told you. Do it yourself.” Sora walked back to her position in the sunlight on the deck, ignoring Sanae’s cursing.

She peered in through the door again nervously, and then jogged down to the navigation room.

Namizo glanced up from the map he was pouring over. “What’s the matter?”

“Oh, noble hero Namizo, I beseech you, rescue a fair maiden in distress,” Sanae said, clutching her hands to her chest.

“… You want me to rescue you?”

Sanae nodded eagerly, her eyes in hearts.

Namizo took a moment to calculate that. If no-one else was running to face the problem, it probably wasn’t a Baroque spy or anything else he couldn’t handle. “Sure. I’ll save you… for a price.”

“Oh, no price is too high for the price of love…” Sanae sighed dreamily.

The side of Namizo’s mouth twitched. Having Zoro in his debt worked out nicely, considering how welcome a companion Viv (and the promised reward) was, and Sanae was just as strong.  “So what do you need help with?”

“…There’s a spider in the kitchen.”

Namizo stiffened, his mouth drying. “Um… how… _big_ a spider?”

Sanae held her hands out.

Namizo guessed she was exaggerating, but on the off chance there really was a spider the side of his hand in there…

Well, Sanae was easy enough to ask for help even without being in debt.

“Sorry, can’t. Spiders and me don’t mix,” the red-haired navigator shuddered.

“But… but…” Sanae protested, her eyes wide with renewed panic. “But I can’t get rid of it!”

“Then ask Luffi or someone,” Namizo sighed.

Sanae chewed the side of her cheek, her eyes glazing over. “Or I suppose the handsome Prince Viv would act as noble as his title suggests…”

“Yeah. Go ask him, then,” Namizo suggested, lightly steering Sanae towards the door.

As soon as the cook was out, Namizo locked the door firmly, casting a couple of nervous looks around the room lest there were any hand-sized spiders in with him.

“Viv?” Sanae knocked politely on the boy’s room.

“Hmm? Oh, hi, Sanae,” the prince of Alabasta smiled. He ran the small brush over Karoo again, making sure any feathers landed on the neatly positioned tarp underneath. “What’s up?”

Sanae smiled broadly at him. “So… would you possibly be able to help a damsel in distress?”

Viv grinned. “I’ll do my best. What’s the matter?”

“There’s a spider in the kitchen and I need someone to get rid of it.”

Viv stiffened, his smile freezing in place. “Well… I suppose I can try…” he said, swallowing.

Sanae didn’t miss the fact that he was hesitant as the prince headed towards the door, his fingers tightening.

The cook ran a hand through her long blonde hair as he left, two conflicting sides at war with herself. On the one hand, she liked Viv and didn’t want to have to upset him. On the other, she did so love a strong man who was willing to put aside his own personal fear in order to rescue her.

The side of her that wanted to be rescued won. Sanae happily followed Viv, walking up the stairs behind him when she froze in her tracks.

Of course, Viv was already constantly in terror of his world being destroyed. No-one ever mentioned it, but every few nights it was apparent that his eyes were red from silent tears.

How absolutely _selfish_ it would be of her to make such a natural hero, already tasked with saving an entire kingdom, face yet another of his fears.

“Wait,” Sanae caught him by the shoulder.

“Hmm?”

“You’re scared of spiders too, aren’t you?”

Viv smiled sheepishly. “Terrified, yeah. But it’s no problem – I can get rid of it for you.”

“No, no,” Sanae said gallantly, shaking her head. “You don’t have to do that.”

She was a little disappointed that he didn’t insist, but the grateful smile he gave her still made her heart melt. “Thanks, Sanae.”

“It’s no problem…” Sanae said dreamily as Viv slipped back down the stairs, thankfully returning to grooming Karoo.

After a few seconds Sanae snapped out of her daze. She still had a spider in the kitchen that she needed to get taken care of…

Well, if none of the boys would do it – and the stupid swordsman was just being stubborn by not doing it, Sanae thought resentfully – and she herself certainly couldn’t do it, then that meant she’d have to ask one of the other girls.

Given a choice, Sanae would much prefer to be rescued by a dashing Prince Charming, but she was willing to be flexible if that would get rid of the spider.

Usoppa was still mixing compositions when Sanae stopped next to her.

“I need you to get kill a spider.”

Usoppa stopped, and glanced up. “What?”

“There’s a spider in the kitchen and I need you to kill it.”

“Um… why do you want it dead?”

Sanae stared at her blankly for a moment. She knew not everyone was scared of spiders, but she couldn’t quite comprehend someone who didn’t hate them.

“Because,” she said slowly, sounding like she was explaining something to a very petulant toddler. “It’s. A. _Spider._ ”

“So?”

Sanae gripped her hands behind her back to avoid throwing them into the air. “Look, can you just get rid of it or not?”

A smirk crossed Usoppa’s face. “I’m sureI could if you ask _nicely_.”

Sanae’s jaw locked. “ _Please_ ,” she ground out.

“Now put it all together,” Usoppa said, still smirking as she got to her feet.

Sanae gritted her teeth. “Would you _please_ get rid of the spider in the kitchen?”

“Of course, Sanae,” Usoppa said with a dramatic flourish.

Sanae barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief before she saw Usoppa’s smirk return. “But you still haven’t properly asked,” Usoppa half-sung.

“…I said ‘please’, what more do you want?”

“You have to say: ‘Please, Captain Usoppa’,” Usoppa corrected, smirking.

Sanae scowled.

A moment later, Usoppa was frantically trying to save the spilling concoctions Sanae had kicked over, attempting to ignore the smarting ache from the new bruise across her stomach.

Luffi was humming happily, still neatly positioned on the _Going Merry’s_ figurehead. “Oh, hey, Sanae!”

“Hey, Luffi,” Sanae leaned on the sheep’s head. “Can I get your help with something?”

“Sure!” Luffi grinned widely, turning around to face her. “What’s up?”

 “There’s a spider in the kitchen and I need someone to kill it for me.”

Luffi cocked her head to the side curiously. “You’re afraid of spiders?”

Sanae frowned, unwilling to admit being _afraid_ even if it was obvious. “Can you get rid of it?”

Luffi considered that for a moment, and then got to her feet. “Sure thing!”

The captain jumped from her perch, skidding through the deck. Sanae stepped out of her way as the rubberwoman ran for the kitchen.

“So where is it?” Luffi asked, pulling open the door.

Sanae stood hesitantly by the door, peering in. “On the wall.”

“’Kay.”

Luffi walked in, running her eyes all along the walls of the kitchen. “I can’t see it!” she called.

“Keep looking, then!” Sanae snapped, still standing back.

“Maybe it left!”

For a moment Sanae entertained the hope it did, before it crashed down again with the realisation that then it would be loose somewhere on the ship. “N-no… I-I trapped it in…” she said shakily, frantically revisiting the scene in her head. Zoro had been about to close the door, so she’d shoved the stupid swordsman out of her way and locked it.

“Well, I can’t see it!” Luffi called again.

Sanae nervously peered in through the window, and then groaned. “Stop snacking!”

“I wasn’t!” the captain protested.

“Luffi, the fridge is still open and _I can see the meat in your hands_.”

“No it’s not,” Luffi said, her hand stretching across the kitchen to shut the door.

“I saw that too! _Luffi!_ ”

“M’not doin’ an’thin’!” Luffi protested as she shoved more food into her mouth.

A snicker caught Sanae’s attention. She turned around to glare at the green haired swordsman, who was viewing the proceedings in amusement.

“What do _you_ want?”

“To watch,” Sora smirked.

Sanae glared at her decidedly useless crewmate, and then glanced back in the kitchen. “If you’re not going to get rid of the spider, could you at _least_ get rid of Luffi before she eats all of our rations again?”

Sora raised one eyebrow, a smirk still on her face. “Fine,” she agreed, pushing past the blonde cook.

The crossdressing girl didn’t waste time with subtlety. She grabbed Luffi by the back of the shirt, pulling her backwards.

“Zooo-rrrroooo!” Luffi whined, swallowing the mouthful of whatever meat she had gotten her hands on.

“Yeah, yeah.” Sora kicked the fridge door shut as she left, dragging her captain behind her.

The swordsmaster paused as she reached the door. “By the way, I think the spider got bigger,” she said lightly to the cook. She hadn’t actually seen the arachnid, but her reaction was sure to be interesting. “Or maybe it has a friend?”

Sanae somehow managed to pale at the same time as glaring at Sora. Normally terror and anger didn’t mix that well on a face, but the Straw Hat chef pulled it off.

Sora smirked, tossing Luffi in the general direction away from the galley. The female swordsman walked lightly back to her spot on the deck where she could both rest and watch the entertainment.

Sanae glowered after her, then checked to make sure the door was securely locked.

_Stupid swordsman… he’d better be lying…_

Choppa was watching Usoppa in fascination when Sanae stopped next to her.

“Oh. Hey, Sanae,” the little reindeer said, looking up at her. “What was that scream about earlier?”

“Can you get rid of a spider?”

“Um… what?” Choppa blinked innocently. “What do you mean?”

“There’s a spider in the kitchen. Do you think you’d be able to get rid of it?”

Choppa considered that for a moment, and then shrugged. “I guess…”

Much to Sanae’s relief, the ship’s doctor climbed out of the kitchen again a few minutes later, hands curled around a small creature.                 

“I couldn’t see any other ones, so I think this is the only one,” Choppa said lightly, inspecting the black arachnid she was holding. “What do I do with it?”

“I don’t care, just don’t let it near me.” Sanae shuddered.

“Ohh… okay,” Choppa nodded hesitantly.

Sanae smiled slightly. “Oh, and by the way. Thanks. That really helped. You were great.”

Choppa beamed. “Don’t try and lie to me because that won’t make me happy or anything!” she squealed, almost dancing with joy.

“Alright,” Sanae smiled. “I’ll keep that in m – the spider, don’t drop the spider, don’t drop it don’t drop it don’t drop it!”

Sanae practically fled back to the _Going Merry_ ’s kitchen, the door neatly locking behind her.

“So you did get the spider, huh?” Usoppa asked lightly. She was standing next to Sora, both watching the spider-related drama unfolding.

“Yeah,” Choppa nodded, then frowned. “But, uh, what do I do with it now?” she asked shyly.

“I vote we put it into the stupid cook’s hammock,” Sora said thoughtfully.

Usoppa laughed, and then froze as it occurred to her the sort of vengeance Sanae would wreak on the entire crew if that happened. “Y-you know, th-that m-might be a b-bit c-c-cruel, wouldn’t it?”

“Whatever.” Sora yawned, sliding down the railing until she was sitting on the ground. “If the stupid cook finally shut up, I’m going to sleep.”

“Okay…” Choppa agreed, leaving the swordsman alone.

After a few moments consideration, the little reindeer ended up releasing the spider on the mast, watching it scramble off. “There you go. Don’t go back into the kitchen again, now.”

“Can you talk to insects, too?” Usoppa asked, impressed.

“Huh?” Choppa spun around to look at her, and then shyly shook her head. “N-not really. Sometimes I can understand the general gist of what they’re feeling, but I can’t really _talk_ to them.”

“Still more than I can do.” The sniper grinned. “That’s pretty impressive, you know.”

Choppa tried to protest that of course that compliment didn’t make her happy, dancing in glee as she did.

“But of course, I don’t need to talk to them,” Usoppa continued boldly. Choppa looked up at her. “After all, I am the brave Captain Usoppa! It only takes one look at me before the eight legged freaks scuttle away in fear, once they know of my reputation.”

“Really?!” Choppa blurted, her eyes sparkling.

“Absolutely! Why, I remember this one time, I met a Genestatisan Arachnid. They’re over two hundred meters tall, naturally, and so what I did was…” Usoppa continued her story, Choppa dutifully playing the part of the delighted audience.

**_ X _ **

They probably could have avoided the fight. The other ship hadn’t seemed to have noticed them, but Luffi hadn’t been willing to accept that. The _Going Merry_ had sailed towards the other pirate ship, with Luffi waving.

The other pirates had waved back, and proceeded to board the ship with their weapons gleaming, shouting about stealing treasure.

Of course, it hadn’t taken too long before they realised that despite being a much smaller ship, the _Going Merry_ was far from easy pickings.

“Hey, they’re running back to their ship!” Luffi protested, pulling back a fist. “Do we go after them?”

“That’s your decision, captain,” Sora said dryly. “But we probably should get our navigator back.”

Namizo was already climbing across one of the grappling hooks attaching the two ships. Three enemy pirates were already lying unconscious from where he had started. “ _No-one_ tries to steal my treasure!”

“Yeesh. It’s not like they got anything.” Usoppa rolled her eyes as she fired a well-aimed Tabasco star into the eyes of one of the few pirates not fleeing. “Or that we have anything to steal, for that matter.”

Luffi grinned. “Hey, he can’t take all the fun. _Gum-gum mooring line!_ ”

Straw Hat stretched her arm straight across the divide, grabbing hold of the railing on the other side. “Anyone else want to come?”

“No way! I’m not leaving the _Merry_ unguarded!” Usoppa refused, shaking her head.

“Viv, please will you rescue me?” Sanae was saying sweetly to the Alabastan prince as she lightly stepped out of the way of a sword stroke. The pirate holding the sword was trying to kill her because she had already dispatched twelve of his comrades, who were lying unconscious.

Viv gave her an incredulous look as the cook deftly blocked the sword with one foot. “Do you really need it?” he asked, spinning his yo-yo anyway.

Choppa was in horn point, ramming several of the pirates. They were tossed, yelling, into the sea.

Luffi glanced at Sora, who shrugged and sheathed her swords. The female swordsman grabbed hold of Luffi’s arm, before the two pirates hurtled onto the attacking ship.

Sora cracked her head against the railing. For a moment everything was out of focus as Luffi cheerfully released her on the deck.

Someone fired at them. Sora dodged the shot without needing to see it and Luffi took the bullet to the chest.

Sora was glad her vision came back in time to see the expression on the enemy pirate’s face as he realised the bullet bounced off.

The man dropped his gun and fled. Luffi laughed and started to chase him.

Shrugging, Sora moved off in the opposite direction. Someone on this ship had to be at least a little bit of a challenge, and if not it was still their fault for starting the fight.

She disposed of several with laughable ease before a group of five had the intelligence to team up against her.

Sora easily blocked a heavy handed overarm thrust and sidestepped a jab to her ribs. With a quick blow she sent one of the attackers stumbling backwards, and dropped another with a cut to the chest. The next two were taken out in one spin, and the final one fell screaming as her sword bit into his shoulder.

“Shut up, would you?” Sora grimaced from around the sword in her mouth. “It’s disgraceful to howl like a baby.”

“Yes, sir, sorry, sir!” the pirate sobbed. Tears were still streaming down his face but not another sound came out.

“That’s better. Isn’t there anyone here who can actually fight?” Sora challenged.

“I can,” a pirate said from behind her. “Why don’t you give me a try?”

Sora’s mouth twitched as she turned to face him. “Alright.”

The swordsman made a point to never underestimate her opponents, so she didn’t feel disappointed when she realised how he was holding his sword. It was a broadsword, and he had one of his thumbs wrapped around the handle as if about to pull it back. Apart from that, he was holding it loosely at his side, which would be difficult to pull it up in time.

Either he was incredibly fast and would be able to shift positions in a heartbeat, or he legitimately had no idea how to hold a sword.

The observation had taken place in less than a second. Sora took a step forwards, swinging one of her swords around in a circle.

The man let out a yelp and scrambled backwards, just barely avoiding the tip of the blade.

“Hmmph.” Sora snorted. “So is that sword just for decoration if you can’t even hold it?”

The man scowled at her, before pointing the sword at her. It looked like he was about to try a thrust, but his balance was abysmal and his aim was off. Despite the poor swordsmanship, he smiled wickedly at her.

“Who said this was a sword?”

Before Sora had a chance to do more than widen her eyes, the pirate pulled on the trigger disguised as the sword’s crosspiece.

The bullet slammed into her chest. Sora stumbled backwards as another hit her in the stomach. She sunk to her knees, panting.

It took a moment for what happened to sink in. When it did, though, the pain seemed to fade away to be replaced by blazing anger.

He had disguised a _gun_ as a _sword_.

“Like my weapon? I designed it myself,” the pirate said sweetly, stepping forwards. “I find it much more useful when your opponents don’t know what they’re up against.”

Sora was still kneeling when Yubashiri slashed through the boasting pirate’s chest. Sora got to her feet, breathing heavily. “A fake sword is a disgrace,” she hissed, picking up Kietsu as well. “You are going to regret ever thinking of it.”

Within a few seconds Sora stumbled over his unconscious body, grabbing the deceptive gun. With a snarl she threw it over the side of the ship, letting it fall into the ocean. Something like that shouldn’t exist in the world.

The girl took a few shaky steps, sheathing her swords. She clutched the ship’s railing for support as she tried to make her way back to the _Merry._ She was sure she’d followed the railing the whole way, and she didn’t think she’d gone too far…

Now that there was no immediate danger, though, she was finding it hard to walk. Her sash was starting to soak in red, and she thought at least one of her ribs had broken.

 _It’s not a problem. I can just sleep it off…_ Sora thought hazily, slumping against the railing. Hey, they actually had a doctor on board now; Choppa could sew her up.

Maybe she’d just take a nap first…

It felt like only a couple of minutes later she was jolted awake by Luffi’s calling.

“Hey, Zoro! Did you get lost again?” Luffi asked as she jogged over.

“Hey, Luffi,” Sora muttered, feeling the stabbing ache in her chest.

Luffi grinned. “What were you even do-”

The captain trailed off and her eyes widened as she saw the blood staining Sora’s shirt. Suddenly her smile disappeared as she looked at her seriously. “Zoro! Are you okay? What happened?”

“Got shot,” Sora said weakly as Luffi draped one of her arms around her, pulling the swordsman up. “Bastard disguised a gun as a sword…”

“Wait, really? That’s just… that’s just cheating!” Luffi said indignantly as she supported the green-haired girl along the length of the ship. Sora was too dizzy to notice Luffi was taking her the opposite direction than she had been limping in. “If you’re going to fight, then do it properly!”

“I know,” Sora mumbled.

“Okay, I’m going to have to rocket us across to the _Merry_. You reckon you’ll be okay with that?”

“Yeah…”

Luffi pulled back the fist that wasn’t holding up Sora and grabbed hold of the _Going Merry_. In a moment she sprung into the air and soared towards their ship.

The journey back was an improvement over the one over, as there was at least no risk of concussion this time around. It wasn’t as if Luffi ever purposefully crashed her crewmates or herself, but she also rarely put the slightest thought into avoiding obstacles. This time, however, Luffi made sure to take the brunt of the landing in order to avoid jarring any of the swordsman’s wounds.

Namizo was already back on board. Usoppa had allowed some of the pirates to return to pick up their wounded, without consulting the other Straw Hats, and the navigator was supervising them with a scowl. He was already in a bad mood since what he’d thought was the treasury had turned out to be both empty and booby-trapped anyway, leaving him with a burn that Choppa was currently applying salve to.

Sanae was helping drag the unconscious enemies back to where their ship was. She was putting no care into it, but with the number of black-and-blue bootmarks forming on skin, no-one had the courage to protest. Viv had offered to do the same, but Sanae had beamed at him and insisted that the prince stayed back.

“What took you so long?!” Namizo rounded on Luffi as she bounced onto the deck. “You better have a good explanation for why you left the ship in the middle of a fight-”

Usoppa was about to ask Namizo about his own fleeing the ship, but Luffi interrupted her. “Choppa!”

“Yes?” Choppa looked up from where she was packing away the burn salve. She looked curiously at Luffi, before her eyes trailed to Sora and the growing bloodstains on her body. “Ahhh! _Zoro!_ Someone call a doctor!”

The cheerful mood on the _Merry_ suddenly was tinged with worry as Choppa remembered that _she_ was the doctor and grabbed her kit.

Namizo’s eyes darkened and he turned to the enemy pirates still on the ship. “Why are you still here?” he hissed.

There was a sudden scramble to get off the ship as the pirates sped up their retrieval operations significantly.

Choppa started to pull at Sora’s shirt. “What happened to him?!”

“He said he got shot,” Luffi answered.

“I see.” Choppa tugged at the shirt, trying to make it come off. Sora brushed her hoof off, causing the reindeer to frown.

Viv watched it repeat. Choppa again reached to pull off the swordsman’s shirt, who slapped her away. Viv could see that Zoro’s face was pained, but he also was pretty sure she was doing it on purpose.

Then Viv remembered Drum Island. He remembered seeing Zoro shirtless and the dull flush that crept up her face when she realised he knew; he remembered that Zoro was a girl and didn’t want anyone else to know.

“Miss Toni! Why don’t you… I really think you should move Zoro inside,” Viv blurted, frantically trying to come up with a reason. “Is the deck really the best place for surgery?”

“No, no, you’re right,” Choppa shook her head nervously. “Okay. Luffi, can you help me carry him in?”

“No problem!” Luffi said happily. All traces of worry had vanished as she jogged towards the cabin, Sora still draped around her shoulder. The captain pulled her crewmate in and lightly placed her on the small mattress beside the table that they used for situations like this.

Choppa knelt down next to Sora, picking up her kit. “First, I’ll need to anaesthetise the injury-”

Viv hurried into the room. He immediately spotted Luffi, who was watching Choppa eagerly. “Luffi! I think we should leave Choppa alone!”

“I’m not bothering her, I just wanna watch!” Luffi protested.

Viv grabbed her by the shoulder and started to drag her out. “Okay, okay, I’m going, I’m going!” Luffi protested as Viv let her go. Grumbling that she wasn’t doing anything, the rubberwoman walked out.

The door slammed shut as the Alabastan prince followed suit.

Sora made a mental note that she really needed to thank Viv; although she did still wish that the prince could have figured out some way to stop Choppa from knowing either.

Choppa pulled off Sora’s shirt. Sora cringed as it was pulled from her wounds. “I’m sorry, did I hurt you?”

“It’s fine…” Sora muttered, watching Choppa’s face for the inevitable realisation.

Choppa, however, didn’t seem to notice, even as she folded up the binder to reach the holes. She checked that neither wound had the bullets lodge and then started to apply antiseptic. Then she picked up a needle between her hooves and delicately started to stitch her up.

Sora was just starting to wonder if there was a legitimate chance Choppa was trusting enough not to notice when confusion filled the reindeer’s face.

“Zoro? What’s this?” Choppa asked, pulling at the tight material Sora was wearing around her chest.

Sora cringed. So much for that hope. “It’s… a binder.”

“A what?”

Sora pushed herself into a sitting position. She did feel slightly dizzy, but she still thought Choppa overreacted. “No! Lie back down!”

Sora grimaced but didn’t fight, obediently lying down again. “It’s a binder,” Sora repeated. “For binding breasts down.”

For a moment Choppa blinked at her. “Why do you-”

“I’m a girl.” Well, there it was. She’d probably have to tell her doctor at some point anyway.

Choppa looked confused, and then realisation lit up her face. “Oh. You mean you’re transsexual?”

Sora shook her head. “No. I’m a girl.”

“But… but I thought that… the others said…” Choppa was absolutely confused.

“Yes, and you can’t tell them,” Sora warned. “Okay?”

 “O… okay. There’s a doctor-patient confidentiality. If you don’t want me to tell anyone then I won’t. But I don’t understand why you don’t want them to know if they’re your friends.”

Sora wanted to answer, but didn’t actually have an answer. She knew why she’d first dressed up as a guy, but that didn’t seem to still apply on this crew.

She was almost grateful when Choppa suddenly seemed to notice something else on her upper body under the folded up binder. “Aaah! What’s that?!”

“What’s what?” Sora asked, startled.

“This huge scar!” Choppa traced the long scar across Sora’s torso, her hooves gentle. “Whoever stitched it up wasn’t very good…” she murmured. But she seemed a little calmer now she realised it wasn’t a recent injury that was likely to cause Sora to keel over any moment.

“Uh, that was Usoppa. There weren’t any real doctors around at the time.”

“Oh. Did you at least get it checked out by someone else once you could?”

“Yes, I did,” Sora said, pleased she could answer how the doctor wanted. She decided to avoid mentioning that she’d fought several fishmen in between that, since she had a feeling Choppa would get overdramatic if she did. It wasn’t like she’d had much of a choice about fighting them, anyway.

“So how’d you get it, then?” Choppa’s eyes were bright, eagerly awaiting a thrilling story.

Part of Sora hated to disappoint, but she wasn’t Usoppa. She couldn’t just weave words that would entrance anyone. She shrugged, deciding just to go with the truth. “I lost a fight.”

“ _What?!_ ” Choppa stared at her, stunned. “But… but… but… you’re amazing! Who could have beaten you?!”

Sora was surprised at the sudden warmth that hit her when the reindeer stared at her, more shocked by the fact she’d lost a fight than that she was a girl.

“Hawkeye. The World’s Greatest Swordsman.”

“You fought the World’s Greatest Swordsman? Wow!” Choppa said, her eyes sparkling with admiration. “And you’re going to fight him again, right? One day? So you can be the greatest?”

Sora nodded once, trying not to smile at Choppa’s obvious awe. It wasn’t like she’d been aiming to get admiration from anyone, but it was hard not to feel at least a little pleased at the look.

“That’s so cool!” Choppa’s eyes were sparkling again as she picked up the bandages.

Sora resigned herself to having even more material wrapped around herself and holding her still for the next hour or so, until she found a place to train. Bandages were really hindering, and she couldn’t imagine how she’d ever thought they were the best option.

Although the paste that Choppa applied to her aches and bruises was nice. Maybe she could see if she could pinch some when she went out to train.

 

**As ever, I love getting reviews.**

 


	13. “Don’t Flatter Yourself. You’re Just A Little Girl.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a timeskip here to reach Alabasta, but assume that anything not here was as in canon, except with different names.  
> And that includes Ace. Sorry I wasn't able to include him, but my muse didn't offer anything and he would probably act much the same to a little sister as he would to a brother (or at least a sister like Luffi). He was only there for a single scene in the manga, and it didn't really have too much room for change.

Sora was pretty sure that she’d lost Tashigi somewhere in Rainbase, but then again she’d also thought they’d lost Smoker, and it was unmistakeably the marine captain running after them.

“You think you pirates can go _anywhere_ without me tracking you down?!” Smoker snarled, sprinting towards the entrance to the casino.

“It’s Smoke-guy!” Luffi yelped, her eyes wide.

“Come on!” Namizo was already pushing his way through the Raindinner patrons.

“Run!” Usoppa was close behind him. Luffi raced after them, with Sora following the captain.

“What’s he even doing here, anyway?!” Usoppa shrieked, scrambling to get around casino patrons.

Sora didn’t bother with the niceties of dodging, shoving them out of the way. “I think he’s developed an interest in taking down Luffi!” she grinned.

“You don’t have to look so happy about having a powerful marine chasing us!” Usoppa shouted at her.

 “He’s not going to give up,” Luffi groaned, increasing her speed. “I don’t wanna try and deal with this guy right now!”

Namizo was still in the lead, but froze when several casino guards stepped into his way. “Excuse me, sir, but I’m going to have to ask that you-”

 “Move it!” Luffi snapped at him, ploughing through. The members of Raindinner’s security were thrown backwards, smashing into casino machines.

Usoppa’s head craned around. “Hey, is that a room there?”

Namizo glanced around. Although everywhere else in Raindinner was surrounded by guards, the VIP room look positively welcoming.

“Come on!” Namizo shouted, sprinting in its direction.

“Welcome to the VIP lounge!” one of the tuxedoed men said sweetly. His partner opened the door before they had to smash through it.

No-one noticed the black-haired man that was Crocodile’s partner sitting in the back, watching as they were led where he had directed.

“Hey, what is a vip, anyway?” Luffi asked, trying frantically to keep ahead of the marine who had followed them.

“Nevermind that now!” Usoppa snapped. “The hallway is splitting – which way do we go?”

“The sign says pirates go left – should we go left then?” Luffi asked.

“Anywhere that pirates are encouraged is probably a trap!” Namizo snapped. “Go right!”

“No way! We’re pirates! Pirates go left!” Luffi snapped, turning left. The captain had made her decision, so the others had little choice but to follow her.

“Uh… where’s the rest of it?” Usoppa stopped.

The hallway to the left was a dead end.

“I guess we go to the right, then.” Sora shrugged, turning around.

Smoker was already there, blocking the way. He scowled at them, rolling one of his cigars in his fingers.

Sora had Wadou already in her hands, pointed straight at him.

The floor clicked, and then disappeared. And suddenly everyone was falling.

 “What the – what did you pirates do?!”

“Aaahhhh!”

“Help! It’s a trap!”

“I can’t believe we fell for it,” Sora muttered. She put her sword back into its sheath securely so she could be sure it wouldn’t get scratched on landing.

“I hate trapdoors!” Luffi shouted furiously into the air.

Hitting the ground wasn’t actually that bad. It was far from a soft landing, but there was nothing worse than a few bruises.

The rubberwoman bounced upwards first, looking around. “Where are we…?”

“The cage is a nice touch,” Sora commented, getting to her feet. She tried to rattle the bars holding them. There was no give to them.

“It was a clever trap,” Luffi said.

“Yep. No way to see that coming,” Usoppa agreed, clambering to her feet.

“We could definitely have seen that coming! We fell into their hands perfectly!” Namizo shouted. “I can’t believe what a couple of idiots you are!”

Luffi experimentally grabbed the bars too, ignoring her navigator’s ranting. After a moment she whimpered.

“Are you okay?” Usoppa turned to her.

“I feel sick…” Luffi moaned, sinking down. Her hands stayed grasped on the metal, but her arms stretched and allowed her to hit the ground.

Sora saw a movement out of the corner of her eye. “Luffi!”

The captain barely had time to glance up before Smoker’s cane smashed into her, knocking into the middle of the cage.

“Hey!” Usoppa squeaked, getting into a clumsy fighting position. It might have been easier to fight is she was lying down, but she held her impractical stance. “I’ll fight you if you really want, you smoking freak! I just helped take down a bomb guy! So… I’ll just stay here and you let me know when you’re ready to fight.”

Luffi groaned, weakly flapping at the cane still pressed into her stomach. She couldn’t summon the strength to hit it, let alone stretch. “I feel like I fell into the ocean…” she moaned, dropping her arms back down again.

“It’s called a Sea Prism.” Smoker dug the cane down harder, causing Luffi to wheeze. “It’s a rock that I have on the tip of my staff. It has all the properties of the ocean in that it can reduce devil fruit abilities. Prison cells at Navy HQ are made from it, to stop ability-users from getting out.”

Sora’s hands were on her swords, but she couldn’t pull them out for risk that the marine would do something to Luffi.

“So that’s what this cage is made of!” Namizo said sharply. He didn’t take his eyes of Smoker for a second as he reached the conclusion.

“If it wasn’t I’d be long gone,” Smoker snarled. “And you four would be on your way to prison, waiting for your date with the hangman.”

“You underestimate us…” Sora growled, starting to pull one of her swords out.

“Zoro!” Usoppa blurted, finally dropping her ridiculous pose in favour of clutching her face. “You can’t fight him! We’re all locked up together!”

“What good is a sword against someone who’s made of smoke?!” Namizo snapped.

“They’re right…” a new voice said coolly.

Four pirates and one marine officer spun in unison to face the desk just outside the cage.

“You’re all going to die together. You might as well go out amicably,” the voice continued darkly. It was male, and devoid of any pity.

Smoker pulled his staff up from Luffi, glaring in the direction of the voice. “Crocodile.”

Luffi’s eyes narrowed from her position on the floor. “That’s Crocodile?”

A dark haired man stepped into view, a long scar across his face as he smirked at them.

Usoppa and Namizo both had identical looks of terror on their face as they scrambled backwards.  Luffi let out an animalistic snarl.

“So he’s one of the Seven Warlords?” Sora growled, every muscle tensed for a fight.

“Looks just like the scum of the seas I imagined,” Smoker grumbled.

“And you look just like the wild dog I imagined, Captain Smoker,” Crocodile countered. “I’ve heard that unlike your superiors you’ve never trusted me.” He paused for a moment. “I suppose that was correct, but certainly not wise.”

He started to walk forwards, his eyes on his captives as he continued to address the marine. “I’ll make sure the world government hears about the powerful fight you put up against the brutal Straw Hat pirates, but that they were too strong for you. I have no idea what brought you here, but I’m betting it wasn’t worth it. You couldn’t be here on official business. The government trusts me, as a Warlord of the Sea, after all.”

Luffi slammed her fist on the ground, struggling to push herself up. “So you’re Crocodile, huh? Then I promised Viv I’m gonna kick your ass!”

She grabbed the bars of the cage to hold herself steady. “Come on over and fight me… oooh…” She slumped.

“Pay attention! You can’t touch the bars!” Usoppa shouted at her.

“Straw Hat Luffi,” Crocodile mused. “You did well getting here. Still, I will have you disposed of quickly and efficiently, once our guest of honour has made his appearance.”

“A… guest?” Namizo repeated.

“I just sent my partner to pick him up. They should arrive shortly,” Crocodile said measuredly.

Sora snarled at him. She took a step closer to the bars, putting a hand to her swords and waiting.

After a full minute of standing still, it became apparent that Crocodile wasn’t dumb enough to come into reach. Eventually the swordsman moved to the back of the cage, resting against the wall and closing her eyes.

 Usoppa pulled Luffi off the bars. Smoker retreated to the corner, where he could see every pirate at once and no-one could sneak up on him.

As time went on, Namizo’s breathing became more and more laboured. The navigator was paling, and his mood was not improved by Luffi and Usoppa passing the time with impressions.

“Look at me! I’m Sanae!” Luffi tried to brush her short hair into an approximation of Sanae’s long blonde style. She put a hand to her mouth, imitating a cigarette, and adopted a scowl. “Who ate all the meat?”

Usoppa burst into laughter, which Luffi quickly joined in. “Okay! Now I’m Zoro! Three Sword Style –”

Namizo slammed his fist into both of their temples. “This is a serious problem!”

“Well, we can’t get out! What else should we do?” Luffi protested, rubbing her head.

“It’s serious _because_ we can’t get out! We could die because of this! And why are _you_ sleeping?!”

Sora was jerked out of her nap by a furious whack on the side of her head. “Mornin’,” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

“It’s not morning!”

“Then why’d you wake me?”

“Well, you certainly are a very spirited young man,” Crocodile mused, sipping his wine.

“You’d better be confident while you can!” Namizo shouted at him. He grabbed Luffi by the side of her rubber cheek. “Cause see her? She’s going to kick your ass when we get out of here!”

“Yeah!” Luffi agreed. Her voice was muffled from the fact that Namizo was still holding half of her face.

“If nothing else, your crew does appear to trust you, Straw Hat Luffi,” Crocodile commented. “Do you truly think you can deliver?”

“Duh!”                 

“I doubt that.”

“Well, that’ll make it all the sweeter when we finally send you flying, then!” Namizo shouted, finally releasing Luffi’s face in order to shake a fist at the Warlord.

Usoppa held his shoulder. “Uh, maybe we could _not_ antagonise him?”

“CROCODILE!”

All head’s turned at the familiar voice as a blue haired prince stormed down the stairs.

“ _Viv?!_ ”

“Good afternoon, Mr Nine,” Crocodile greeted. He spread his arms widely, his hook gleaming. “Or should I say, the Royal Prince Viv?”

“Leave my country alone,” Viv hissed. His voice was full of more poison than any of the Straw Hats had ever heard the kind prince use. “Leave it, Mr Zero. Or better yet – I want you to _die_!”

His last statement trailed off into a war-cry as he hurtled down the stairs, his yo-yos spinning in his hands.

“Hey, get us out first!” Luffi protested weakly.

“Alabasta would still be at _peace_ if it wasn’t for you!” Viv screamed. “The people would still be _safe_! And it’s all – your – fault! _Peacock String Slasher!_ ”

His yo-yo spiralled through the air, colliding solidly with Crocodile’s head. Crocodile’s upper body exploded.

“Whoa…” Usoppa’s eyes widened.

“That didn’t work,” Smoker said ominously.

Crocodile’s skin dissolved, with the Warlord disappearing entirely. All around Viv sand curled, drifting behind him. But Mr Zero’s voice remained.

“Feel better?” The sand started to form into a hand gripped around Viv’s face and a hook holding his body still as Crocodile reappeared. “Surely you’re aware that I have the power of the sand-sand fruit.”

Viv paled, but his eyes were still burning in anger from Crocodile’s touch.

“You leave him alone!” Luffi screamed. “Come on! I’ll take you on! Put him down!”

All-Sunday moved out of the way as Crocodile pushed his chair out. He threw the prince down unceremoniously at the table. “I trust you’ll be comfortable sitting there. Your timing is perfect – the party is about to begin. Isn’t that right, Mr All-Sunday?”

A faint smile played on All-Sunday’s face. “That’s correct.” He pulled out a pocket watch to check the time. “It’s noon as of thirteen seconds ago. Operation Utopia is commencing.”

“What’s an ‘Operation Utopia’?” Luffi asked. “Also, what’s ‘commencing’?”

Crocodile started to laugh. “Operation Utopia is when this pathetic kingdom of yours dies, Mr Nine.”

Viv stared at him.

“I will destroy Alabasta as if it never existed. Every person, no matter how insignificant or how powerful, will disappear. And then I will create my own nation. That is Operation Utopia.”

Viv started to shake. Whether it was from fear or rage was unclear, but whatever his motives he jumped to his feet. “You… you _bastard_!”

Several arms bloomed out of nowhere, forcing the prince back to the chair.

For a few moments he struggled desperately against the unexpected grip, without stopping to consider how the hands were there, but couldn’t break out. Eventually he slumped, exhausted, and then stared at Crocodile with blazing eyes. “What are you planning on doing to my country?” he spat.

Crocodile’s mouth twitched. “Well… it’s more accurate to say what I am currently doing to your country. But if you’re so desperate, I’ll tell you.”

It only took a few minutes for him to detail his plan. How the rebel army was being incensed by what they believed the monarchy to be doing. How Cobra Nefeltari had been kidnapped and was, to a thousand witnesses, currently destroying Nanohama. How the royal guards were aware of the rebellion declaring war but having no idea of their motives. How in a few hours, they would all exterminate each other to defend Alabasta.

By the end of the story tears were pooling at Viv’s eyes. His voice was cracking as tried to curse out the Warlord of the Seas.

The obvious distress of the prince was causing the Straw Hats to go into a frenzy. Especially Straw Hat herself, who let out a bestial scream and slammed into the cage.

Luffi shoved her face against the bars. But as rubbery as she usually was, the Sea Prism held her, not allowing her to bend through.

Smoker calmly took a breath from his cigars, looking sidelong at the pirate. “Is she stupid?”

Sora glanced at the girl, who was now slumping from the Sea Prism. “Yeah. She’s stupid.” A flicker of a smile crossed her face. “But that’s also why she’s our captain.”

“I’m going to… I’m gonna kick his ass for you, Viv,” Luffi promised, pulling back from the cage. “You hear that, Crocodile? I’m going to make you wish you’d never been born!”

She slammed her face back towards the gap, struggling to fit through.

Viv kicked the side of the chair as hard as he could. The seat fell sideways, sending the prince heavily into the floor.

“Viv!”

Crocodile watched him dispassionately. “What exactly are you hoping to do?”

“Stop you,” Viv whispered. “I don’t care how. I’m going to stop you! There’s… there’s still time.” He was panting by now, but still struggling to crawl. “If I can get to Alubarna, I can – I will never give up! I will never let you have this country!”

Crocodile smiled. It was a cruel, sadistic smile that made Viv shiver, but the prince never faltered. “What a coincidence. Mr All-Sunday and I are about to go to Alubarna too. If you like, you may come with us.” He glanced at the cage containing the Straw Hats and Smoker. “Or… if you’d rather, you can try to save your friends.”

He calmly held his hand out, revealing a glimmering key.

“Is that the key to the cell?” Namizo’s eyes widened.

“Hey! Give that here!” Luffi shouted.

Crocodile ignored them. He ignored Viv struggling to get closer, frantically trying to kick the chair off himself.

Instead, he threw the key. For a moment it reflected the light, glinting, before landing securely in the pen below.

The ropes securing Viv snapped against the harsh edge of the chair. Viv scrambled to his feet, leaping for where the key had been moments before.

He hesitated at the edge of the hole.

“Wise of you not to jump in, Mr Nine,” Crocodile commented.

Viv stared into the hole, horror clouding his expression as he realised exactly what had just climbed into the pen from the lake outside. A bananagator.

He clapped his hand to his mouth as the reptile swallowed the key whole.

“The rebels and the royal army will be meeting soon,” Crocodile said leisurely. “Even if you leave now and hurry, the chances of you getting there first is slight. If you try to save your friends… then you have no chance at all.”

Viv stared at him, pale and shaking. “You… you monster…”

Luffi started to shout threats and Crocodile again. This time Usoppa and Namizo joined in. Sora didn’t shout, but her eyes promised pain and destruction.

“Hey! Viv! Get that key and then we’ll defeat Crocodile!” Luffi shouted.

“I can’t!” Viv gasped. “I – I can’t fight a bananagator! They’re the most… they even prey on sea kings! I wouldn’t stand a chance!”

“It’s a pity that I accidentally _dropped_ it, then,” Crocodile said silkily. “And now that it’s re-entered the water, there’s no telling which one ate the key. You would have to defeat all of them to have a hope of finding the right one.”

“I can’t _believe_ him…” Namizo hissed.

Sora snarled, pulling one of her swords half out of the sheath. “If we could just get out of here I could handle those overgrown reptiles in a second…”

“Stop being so dumb, Zoro.” Luffi gave her a look. “We can’t get out because a bananagator ate the key.”

“I know that, you idiot!”

Crocodile walked to the doors, passing Mr All-Sunday. “I’m sorry, but we must be leaving earlier than you, Mr Nine. Time is of the essence.”

He paused and glanced back. “Speaking of time, this room will be flooded within the hour. The bananagators should enter sometime before that. You might want to keep that in mind.”

“WHAT?!”

“So, Mr Nine, it’s either save one million innocent citizens – or four pirates with no future. Of course, you are not likely to be able to rescue either in time.” Crocodile started to walk out the door. “Make your choice.”

“Hey! Viv can save all of us!” Luffi shouted.

Crocodile didn’t look back. Mr All-Sunday did, though, his expression unreadable.

As the two Baroque Works leaders left, grates started to open in the room.

“It’s leaking!” Usoppa screamed. “We’re all gonna drown if we don’t do something now! Viv! Help us! Get us out of here!”

“Stop freaking out,” Sora grumbled.

“Are you crazy, Zoro?! How can I not freak out at a time like this?! We’re all gonna drown like rats if we don’t get out of here!”

Viv picked up his yo-yo with shaking hands. “My… my kingdom or my friends?” he whispered. “All you do is take. You’d never give something back. Even if I made it to Alubarna the only way I would survive is if I had my friends, and if I save my friends there will be no Alubarna left! The only way I can win is to take out the monster who started it…”

Viv spun the yo-yo through the air violently.

It never even connected. The weapon dropped back to the ground as the prince started to sob.

“Viv!” Luffi rapped on the Sea Prism bars, ignoring the weakness that spread from her hands as she did so. “Get us out of here!”

“How?” Viv’s voice cracked.

Crocodile paused, glancing back. A flicker of a smile crossed his face. “So you’re finally starting to beg for your life, eh, Straw Hat? Fair enough. Everyone is afraid of dying.”

“I’m not _begging_!” Luffi screamed. “But if we die here, then who’s gonna kick your ass?!”

Crocodile didn’t pause. “Don’t flatter yourself. You’re just a little girl.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t defeat you!” Luffi shouted at the top of her lungs.

Crocodile clicked his fingers.

A passage opened up, letting a bananagator start to crawl through. “You were right, Mr Nine. I would have had you killed at Alubarna, and I have no intention of letting you survive here, either.”

Viv got to his feet, shaking. The bananagator dwarfed him, staring down at the blue-haired prince. He swallowed, trying to ignore the fact that his pulse was racing and picked up his yo-yo.

“Yeah, Viv!” Luffi cheered. “Beat it up!”

“That’s impossible!” Usoppa punched Luffi on the shoulder. “Viv, save yourself! Get out of here! But save us too!”

“You’re the one asking the impossible!”

“Look out the windows!” Namizo shrieked. “They’re waiting in line to eat us!”

“At least we won’t drown like rats,” Sora commented calmly.

“This is not an improvement!”

Viv watched the growling reptile and scowled. “Peacock string-”

The bananagator lunged towards him. Viv leapt out of the way frantically, hitting the floor heavily.

“That thing bit a hole through the staircase!” Namizo gasped.

Viv collapsed on the ground. Blood was starting to trickle from his nose where he had bashed it on the ground. He struggled to sit up, well aware of the bananagator behind him.

“Viv! Run!”

“It’s gonna eat you!”

“Go!”

All noise in the room suddenly stopped, to be replaced with an odd ringing noise.

 _Bululululu. Bululululu. Bululululu. Bululululu._ _Bululululu._

The bananagator stopped its attack as the foreign noise of the transponder snail rung through the air. Then, thankfully, it took a few steps back, not knowing what the sound was.

“Someone’s calling,” All-Sunday stated from the hallway. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a baby transponder snail. “Yes?”

“ _Hello? Can you hear me?_ ” a familiar girl’s voice rang out.

The Straw Hats stared at each other.

“Yes. I can hear you. You’re representing the Millions, right?” All-Sunday queried.

“ _Is this thing working right? I’ve never used a baby transponder snail, and barely ever used an adult. Is it working?_ ”

All-Sunday sighed. “Yes. It’s working.”

“Hurry up and report. What is it you want to say?” Crocodile asked sharply.

“ _Okay, now I’ve definitely heard that voice before._ ”

“Who is this?” Crocodile repeated impatiently.

“ _This is Restaurant Le-Crap,_ ” Sanae said, dropping her voice to the male impersonation she had used on Little Garden.

There was a moment of silence on both ends of the line.

“Restaurant Le-Crap?” Crocodile repeated.

“ _Don’t you remember? We talked at Little Garden,_ ” Sanae said in her natural voice.

Crocodile froze as memories raced through his mind. He paused thoughtfully. “Mr Two said that there were five Straw Hats, including their pet. Does this mean that we’re missing someone?”

“Restaurant Le-Crap?” Usoppa repeated, glancing at the Straw Hats with hope in her eyes.

“Do you think that might be-” Namizo trailed off, his face breaking into a smile.

“San-!” Luffi began to shout before Usoppa’s hand wrapped around her mouth.

“Shut up! If they don’t know about her just yet then let’s not tell them! She was in the cabin when we met Mr Two, so Baroque Works doesn’t know!”

Viv was suddenly looking more hopeful. He pried himself away from the collection of bananagators. “Sanae and Choppa are still out there…” he whispered. He couldn’t believe he had forgotten that, but he had been distracted.

Crocodile stared at the Transponder snail. His voice was dark as he addressed Sanae. “Mind telling me who you are?”

“ _I do, actually. I think I’ll be keeping that a secret. But you can call me… Miss Princess._ ”

It was a mark of how serious the situation was that none of the Straw Hats rolled their eyes at Sanae’s codename.

“Very well, Miss Princess,” Crocodile said smoothly. “Where are you?”

“ _I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I can’t say_ ,” Sanae replied equally smoothly. “ _If I did, you’d come kill me. Or at least, you’d try._ ” She chuckled, although there was no real humour in her voice. “ _Whether or not you actually could, I’m not stupid enough to give up this information that easily. Unlike you, Mr Zero._ ”

“Hey! Miss Princess!” Usoppa shrieked. “We’ve been captured! Help! If you can’t rescue us we’re going to end up as gator food!”

“Yeah, Princess!” Luffi agreed. “Come rescue us!”

“Please do, Miss Princess!” Namizo joined in the shouting.

“ _Well, it does sound like you have my loud-mouthed crew with you,_ ” Sanae said silkily. “ _Thanks for confirming that. I suppose that means I’ll-!_ ”

A now familiar piercing scream ripped through the air, but the unexpected stop was more chilling than anything else. The gunshot that echoed from the device had seemed louder than one in real life.

“ _She won’t be getting up again_ ,” a new voice grunted, then started speaking into the snail. “ _Sir? We got her. What do we do now?_ ”

Viv swallowed back the ball in his throat. “Sanae…”

Crocodile had the slightest hint of a smile on his face. “So where are you?”

“ _We’re at the gates of a casino called Raindinners._ ”

“SANAE!” Luffi shrieked, desperately hoping for a response.

Sora gritted her teeth. “Just when I thought she couldn’t get any more useless. If she’s not dead now she will be when I catch her.”

“They got Sanae! They got Sanae! They got Sanae! What are we gonna do?! They got Sanae!” Usoppa was frantically chanting under her breath.

Namizo had his fingers crossed for luck. “Please let that have been another fake. Please let her just be wanting a rescue and so she’ll come rescue us to get one,” he prayed.

Crocodile chucked. “Stay there. We’ll be out in a moment.” He hung up.

“The Millions still don’t know who their boss is,” All-Sunday reminded him, stowing the transponder snail.

“I won’t go as their boss,” Crocodile responded calmly. “I’ll be the local hero who happens to own the building, going to see what the commotion outside was.”

“I see.” All-Sunday nodded.

Viv let out a scream, scrambling backwards from the bananagator that seemed to have just remembered the prince’s presence. The reptile lunged.

As deadly fast as bananagators were, Viv was fuelled by adrenalin, fear, and the desperate desire to save his friends. His fingers had clutched the remains of the stairs, clambering up.

The blue-haired man spun to look at the Straw Hats. “I’m going to get help! There’s still time!” he promised, starting to run.

“Gotcha! San – Miss Princess wouldn’t die that easily,” Usoppa agreed, calming down a little as the shock faded. “If you can just rescue her then she’ll be able to wipe the floor with these things.”

“Not to mention Choppa,” Namizo nodded. “We might still – look out!”

“Huh?” Viv glanced around to see a wave of sand punch him in the stomach.

The blow itself winded him, but it also tossed him backwards off the edge.

Viv landed next to the cage, bruised and bloodied. His head had missed the initial impact but he couldn’t support himself and felt his forehead collide with the rock.

“Enough games,” Crocodile said dismissively, glancing at the stunned prince. “You may die with your friends. I’ll even bring the so-called ‘Princess’ here to join you; I hope you don’t mind a corpse.”

On that ominous pronouncement, the Warlord of the Sea left, his partner a few steps behind.

“Viv! Are you okay?!” Namizo said frantically, kneeling to try and look at his face.

Viv groaned, trying to push himself up.

“Behind you!”

“Huh…?” Viv glanced around to see the bananagator open its mouth.

It didn’t go for the lightning quick dash this time. It could smell the blood and took it as a sign that its prey wouldn’t be moving fast.

Viv was tired and in pain. A small part of him might have even welcomed a quick death.

But the prince in him knew that his country was still being dismantled. The Straw Hat could see that the rest of his crew were minutes from being killed. And the former Baroque Works agent had already slashed through the air with his yo-yo.

The bananagator howled in pain, screeching backwards. Viv took the opportunity to run for the stairs, scrambling up in a mad dash of desperation.

He took them three at a time, barely making it into the safety of the hallway as the staircase collapsed.

As tempting as it was to stop for a moment and catch his breath, the sudden increase in panic from the Straw Hats made his heart clench. He didn’t know what had happened, but he knew his only chance was if Sanae was still alright.

The prince sprinted into the casino lobby, pulling his hood up around his head. He scanned the area frantically for Baroque Agents, or possibly a bloodied pirate with blonde hair.

_Crash!_

“What _now_?” Viv moaned, his fingers wrapping around his faithful yo-yo. He kept an ear out, listening to the conversation between the patrons.

“The bridge collapsed!”

“What?! The one over the moat?!”

“How are we supposed to get out _now_?!”

Viv stopped dead, blood draining from his face. “The bridge… fell?” he whispered.

The girl next to him nodded, her one visible eye focused on her slot machine. “Don’t worry. It’s more to keep Baroque Works out than to lock us in.”

Viv’s head snapped around as the blonde girl smiled, pulling the lever. She didn’t look at what symbols came up, instead turning to face the blue-haired boy. “It’s all part of the plan. Choppa’s keeping them out of our hair as a decoy.”

She pulled her cigarette out of her mouth and stubbed it against the slot machine, something she would never have done if it hadn’t belonged to Crocodile.  “If we want to save your country, we should probably go now.”

Viv pulled away his hood, revealing a bloodied face and a delighted expression. “Sanae!”

Sanae smiled, her eyes sparkling behind the sunglasses she was wearing. “Think you can tell me where our friends are, your highness?”

 Viv nodded, glancing at the door he had just come from. Sanae took the hint and started walking towards it. When the prince started to run, the cook kept up.

“So, Toni’s playing decoy?” Viv asked as they shouldered past patrons discussing the bridge.

“Yeah. She’ll be fine, she’s just buying us a little extra time. Right now, we need to find our crew.”

“Okay – but didn’t you get _shot_?”

Sanae gave a remarkably girlish giggle, her eyes growing big. “Oh, Viv, were you worried about me? That’s so sweet.”

“But… you screamed…?” Viv asked.

Sanae shrugged, her love-struck smile melting into a wicked grin. “Yeah. I can scream and kick at the same time. Then I took his gun to let Crocodile hear the shot. Got the bastard to say he caught me, and then left him with injuries that I think will recover in time to say thank you.”

“And Toni is…?”

“Choppa said she was Miss Princess,” Sanae said as the two started to run down the long hallway. “Crocodile and All-Sunday are going after her now. Don’t worry, though. She’s a shapeshifter, after all. They won’t know it’s her they’re looking for. Do we go downstairs?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all those who've left comments and kudos so far. I really appreciate them.


	14. "Her Eternal Stupidity Knows No Bounds."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title might be a little mean, but it was still one of my favourite lines in the manga and subsequently in the chapter.

**Chapter Fourteen: “Her eternal stupidity knows no bounds.”**

“Come on Luffi, hold it together!” Usoppa shook the captain as her head began to droop.

“I don’t feel so good… the water’s getting pretty high up…” Luffi mumbled.

Sora glared at the bars. _If I were a boy, would I be good enough to cut through this cage?_

She growled, shaking her head. She didn’t want to go down that path again. She wasn’t a good enough swordsman to escape, but that had nothing to do with her gender.

Every once in a while, though, she was reminded of the fact she’d spent most of her childhood being told girls couldn’t be swordsmen.

Suddenly a cool voice cut through the roars of the bananagators and the thundering water. “It’s incredibly impolite to make a lot of noise at mealtime like you were doing.”

Sora’s head snapped up at the words.

“Was that-” Namizo began.

The bananagator let out a snarl of pain as a sudden impact, worse than a cannonball, hit its stomach. The reptile was thrown into the air and pushed backwards, stunned.

“I guess I’ll have to give an etiquette lesson, then,” Sanae snarled. Her boot splashed as she put her leg back down from the kick.

The Straw Hats and Smoker all stared in shock.

Sanae calmly reached into her pocket, pulling out a cigarette. “Hey everyone. Were you waiting long?”

“Miss Princess!” Usoppa yelled, clapping her hands together in delight.

“We’re gonna get out of here!” Luffi shouted, struggling to keep steady on her feet in the rising water.

Namizo let out a sigh of relief. “You’re okay?”

“Don’t just stand there, get the key-!” Sora began to shout.

“Namizo!” Sanae squealed, waving her hand frantically at the orange-haired thief. “Were you scared for me? Did you want to come rescue me? Do you love me yet?”

“Uh, yeah,” Namizo said, a little incredulous. “Sure, I love you. Get us out of here!”

“Okay!” Sanae squealed.

“Her eternal stupidity knows no bounds,” Sora muttered.

Luffi beamed at Viv, who was sitting up on the broken stairs. “Viv! Good job!”

Viv looked startled, before grinning back. He gave her a thumbs up.

_Grrrrrr!_

Sanae lost her dreamy expression to be replaced with a smirk. She turned around calmly, looking at the bananagators ready to attack. “Sorry, but we’re having difficulties in the kitchen, and so dinner has been cancelled. In compensation, we’ll be glad to offer three hundred sets of broken jaws.”

“Get ‘em, Sanae!” Luffi cheered, punching the air. Usoppa had pushed her onto the above water-level block with Smoker, who looked at her in disgust but didn’t protest. “Smash those stupid bananas into pudding!”

Sanae wasn’t sure if her captain was just telling her to attack them, or if she was legitimately asking for the chef to cook them; it was hard to tell with Luffi, sometimes. “I’m not sure these things would work well in a pudding,” she said calmly, raising one leg above her head. “But by the time I’m done, there won’t be enough left for a stew anyway. Anything that would dare attack a lady needs a _severe_ lesson in table manners.”

“Sanae! There isn’t time for that!” Usoppa shrieked. “We’re going to drown! One second strikes! No, one _instant_ strikes!”

Smoker looked at the blonde girl, who didn’t seem to make any outward acknowledgement of her crewmate’s shouts. ‘Miss Princess’ was watching the bananagators coolly, judging the distances and the most efficient way to take them out.

“The third one that just came in.”

“What?” Sanae glanced around.

“That’s the one that has the key.”

“How do you know that, Smoke-guy?” Luffi demanded.

Smoker looked at her contemptuously. “Are your ears just for show? That’s the one with the same growl as the one that swallowed the key.”

Luffi stared at the man next to her in amazement. “That’s really cool!”

“Third one. Got it.” Sanae nodded.

She ran forwards. Her foot connected with the jaw of the one about to bite her, before she flipped in mid-air to slam her other foot down on another’s skull.

It took less than thirty seconds to reach the bananagator Smoker had indicated. Within a few moments of that, the bananagator retched, something gleaming falling from its mouth.

“Is that the key?!” Namizo demanded frantically.

“No,” Sora answered him, frowning.

The shining thing was far from a key. It was a silver sphere, about a meter in diameter. Sanae spared it a glance, keeping one eye firmly on the bananagator that had spat it out.

“Wax-Wax Ball… _release_!”

The sphere split open and a gangly, unshaven man stumbled out. “I have escaped!” He put his hand into the water, spraying it upwards. “Water, at last!”

“What’s _he_ doing here?” Sora asked sharply, folding her arms

“Hey! It’s the candle-guy!” Luffi snarled. “Mister Three!”

“What was he doing inside a bananagator?” Viv demanded.

Mr Three took a deep breath, scooping water into his mouth. It was far from clean and probably unhygienic, but it was still fresh water. “I thought I was a goner,” he crowed. “Stupid Crocodile, you thought you could get rid of me, eh? The moment I was swallowed I created a Wax-Wax ball. That was how I survived!”

He stopped, realising that something not made of wax was attached to his sphere. “Hmm? A… key?” He picked it up, frowning. “What does it open?”

“Hey! You! Give it here!”

“Yeah, give it!”

“Give us that key right now!”

Mr Three turned around at the shouts, and then let out a shriek of horror as he recognised the occupants of the cage. “You again?!”

He stopped, staring at the key and ignoring the raging screams of the pirates.

_A room leaking water… an iron cage… and three Straw Hats shouting for_ this _key…_

“Oh, I see what’s going on,” Mr Three said slowly, a sadistic smile crossing his face.

“Sanae! Get that key from him!” Luffi ordered frantically.

Sanae cricked her neck. “Not a problem.”

Mr Three spun around. For the first time, he registered that there was someone outside of the cage. “Yah!”

“Mr Three, I presume,” Sanae said, her eyes locking on his hairstyle. “Hand over the key.”

Mr Three smirked, gripping the key tightly. “I don’t think so. _Fetch!_ ”

The key flew through the air, disappearing underwater behind several bananagators.

 “I don’t know who you are, but if you’re a friend of the Straw Hats you’re an enemy of mine. If you want the key, go find it!” Mr Three declared.

Sanae’s face darked, daggers shooting from her eyes. “Jerk. That was dirty, even for Baroque Works.”

“Aren’t you going to start searching?” Mr Three asked tauntingly.

Sanae growled.

“Wait, Sanae!” Usoppa shouted, grabbing the bars of the cage. “Maybe he can use his wax-wax powers to make another key!”

“Huh?” Sanae looked uncomprehending for a moment, before a smile crossed her face. “Yeah. So, what do you say, Mr Three? You going to help?”

“And why would I do that?” Mr Three snapped.

The first clue he got as to why was an agonising pain and a sharp cracking noise as Sanae’s leg slammed into his ribs.

Within a minute, Mr Three quietly unlocked the door.

“Thanks for that!” Sanae said brightly. It might have been theatrical, but she couldn’t resist pinning the note to his chest, before nudging him out of the way with her foot. Her ‘nudge’ sent him flying backwards a few metres, before falling into the rising water.

“What’s the fastest route to Alubarna? The one Crocodile’s taking?” Namizo asked, leaving the cage.

“Yeah, but the way there is surrounded by hundreds of bananagators-” Viv protested, glancing in the direction of the hallway.

 His jaw fell open.

Sora calmly sheathed her swords at the same time as Luffi’s arms reduced back to a normal level. “Is that it?!” Luffi shouted, glaring at the dozens of bananagators lying around the water. “That was so not enough!”

Sanae was unmoved, but the other three Straw Hats stared with their mouths open.

“And I couldn’t handle one…” Viv said weakly.

“Don’t blame yourself,” Usoppa said comfortingly, rubbing his shoulder. “Those two are barely human.”

_Crack!_

Walls breaking had never sounded so ominous.

“This whole place is falling apart!” Luffi screamed.

“Even the passageway!” Sora warned.

“Come on, we’ve gotta get out of here!”

“AAAAAIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE! Namizo, Viv, will you _pretty please_ save me?”

“You’re a moron.”

“Shut it, marimo!”

“Guys, _come on_!”

Sora jumped off the bananagator she was on, Luffi right behind.

The swordsman stopped when she felt a hand grab her shoulder. “Zoro!”

“What?” She glanced at her captain.

“Get Smoke-guy out of here!”

“ _What?!_ He’s our enemy; he can take care of himself!”

“No, he can’t! He’s got devil-fruit powers too, remember?! He’ll drown if you don’t help him!” Luffi was almost pleading.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Sora groaned. “Fine!”

Then the water spread over them and all argument was cut off.

Sora kicked out, her eyes straining against the water. Thankfully, Smoker wasn’t far. The swordsman grabbed him, heading upwards.

She could see a flash of blonde hair just ahead of her as Sanae scooped up Luffi. The Straw Hat pirate had known that her crew would never let her down, but had guessed – correctly – that it would take an actual order for Smoker to be pulled out.

Sanae’s lungs were bursting as she broke into the air, dragging Luffi up with her. “You still alive?” the chef asked, dropping the rubberwoman on the sidewalk.

Luffi only gurgled in response.

“Usoppa!” Viv dragged the sniper out, his arms wrapped securely around her shoulders. Namizo was trying to push the long-nosed crewmate out from behind.

“Come on! Kick or something!” Namizo snapped angrily. “Why can’t _you_ get yourself out?!”

Sora kicked to the surface, her hand wrapped securely around Smoker’s jacket. She threw him against the side of the pathway.

“Zoro, what the hell?!” Sanae shouted, walking over to where the swordsman was trying to climb onto the shore. “Why’d you rescue _him?!_ ”

“Shove it,” Sora snapped, pushing past the cook. She leant down and dragged Smoker properly out of the water, leaving him against the floor. “I didn’t want to. Besides, he would have died anyway.”

Sanae scowled, then waved a hand dismissively. “Whatever. We’d better go. Viv, can we still make it to Alubarna?”

Viv was straining the water from his desert cloak. “I don’t know.”

Sanae nodded. “Okay.”

She reached into her pocket. Her fingers habitually went for the cigarettes – soaking wet, dammit – but she passed over them, pulling out the bottle of perfume Namizo had said he liked in Nanohana. She started to spray it on.

Viv blinked at her. “What are you doing?”

“We need to be able to track down Choppa-”

“Roronoa!”

Sora didn’t even glance, a sword already blocking Smoker’s staff, exactly like how the marine had expected. The marine had known he wouldn’t have broken her defence with one blow, and hadn’t intended on it.

“Why did you save my life?” Smoker asked flatly.

Sora looked over her blade at him, scowling. “All I did was follow captain’s orders. Don’t read into it. She’s just like that.”

The swordsman flicked her blade, pushing Smoker’s staff down. She brushed sopping wet green hair out of her eyes, wondering when it had gotten long enough to get in them.

“Then I suppose you wouldn’t have any problems with me following _my_ orders and arresting you,” Smoker said threateningly.

Sanae groaned. “That’s what you get when you rescue a marine.”

Sora met Smoker’s eyes squarely, her sword held expertly by her side.

 “Alright! We’re going to Alubarna!” Usoppa shouted, jumping to her feet.

“Where’s Crocodile?!” Luffi demanded, punching a fist into her palm. She spun around, presumably searching for the Warlord of the Seas, and jumped when she saw Smoker instead.

 “Hey! Smoke-guy! You wanna fight?” Luffi clenched her fists, getting into a fighting position. “Come on!”

“Smoker!” Usoppa squeaked. “We’re not really going to have to fight him, are we?”

Smoker considered the situation for a moment. “I should. But you just saved my life.”

He closed his eyes and sighed. “I’ll let you go. Just this once. The next time we meet, I will take you down without mercy.”

There were shouts from the main road. Civilians parted as a wave of marines hurtled towards the Straw Hats.

“That’s our cue.” Sanae stowed her perfume away. “Viv? Which way to Alubarna?”

Viv pointed. He was still grinning from Smoker’s agreement to let them go. “Due east.”

With the prince of Alabasta leading the way, the Straw Hats hurtled off. Sora paused long enough to glance back at her captain, standing still. “Luffi, are you coming or what?”

Luffi cocked her head to the side and grinned at Smoker. “You know, I don’t hate you after all!”

Smoker growled, and then swung his staff. Luffi frantically had to jump to stay out of range of the Sea Prism stone. “Get out of here already, Straw Hat!”

Luffi yelped, and scampered off, chasing in the general direction the Straw Hats had gone in. Sora chuckled, before following.

It didn’t take long before they’d caught up to the others. The crew had realised they were missing several, and had slowed to compensate. Once everyone was there, they sped up again.

“Okay guys! We’ve got a lot to do, so we’d better keep going until we get to Alubarna!” Luffi shouted.

“Aye-aye, captain!” The road rang with the affirmative shout.

After a few minutes, it occurred to Usoppa that Alubarna was unlikely to be in easy walking distance. “Hey, how are we going to get there?”

“I just said it! We keep going!”

“We’re actually going to _run_?!”

“We could get horses at a stable,” Namizo suggested.

“The whole town is crawling with marines!” Viv protested.

“Already planned that!” Sanae called, pointing. “There’s Choppa there – and it looks like she picked up a ride!”

Choppa was giggling in delight, waving frantically from her position on top of what looked like a giant crustacean.

“That’s a moving crab!” Viv shouted as the Straw Hats stumbled to a stop. The prince’s eyes were alight with hope. “They’re really rare to find one – Toni, you did amazingly!”

Choppa started to squeal and dance with joy. “Shut up! Just because you said so doesn’t make me happy or anything! Just get on board already!”

“We get to _ride_ it? Awesome!” Luffi stretched her hands up, clambering onto the giant crab.

“He’s Eyelashes’s friend,” Choppa said as her crew joined her. “Since Eyelashes’s was born here, he’s got lots of friends.”

“How’d you even find us?” Namizo asked, settling down carefully.

“Sanae’s perfume! It’s really strong – I could smell it all the way from the desert!”

Sora tapped the shell of the crab experimentally. “Come on. Let’s go already.”

“Right!” Choppa hit the reins. “On to Alubarna!”

 


	15. First Rule of Assassination: Take Out The Weaker Target First

**Chapter Fifteen: “First rule of assassination: take out the weaker target first.”**

Sora and Namizo were riding the sonic ducks side-by-side, the cloaks covering any distinguishing feature as they tore ahead of the pursuing Baroque Works agents, keeping slow enough that they didn’t lose them.

Namizo pulled on the reigns of his duck, bringing him around smoothly to face the agents. Sora followed suit, so the two cloaked figures were met by the two agents.

“Wow,” Namizo said sweetly, trying to fake Viv’s voice. “You made a pretty good guess! That’s right, I’m the Prince Viv!”

“What are you talking about?” Sora said, effortlessly sliding into the male voice she’d carefully constructed. It felt a little disused, but Sora didn’t have time to wonder when was the last time she’d used it. “I’m the _real_ Prince Viv.”

Both of the Baroque Works agents frowned, obviously suspicious. Not that their suspicions mattered; the plan didn’t entail them staying convinced that they’d followed Viv for much longer.

Triumphantly, the Straw Hats pulled back their hoods and tossed the cloaks into the air, revealing themselves as most certainly _not_ Viv.

 “Too bad: it looks like your guess was wrong!”

Sora slid off the duck, stepping forwards with a slight smile as she dropped the false voice again. “Hey, Namizo? You can stand back; I’ll handle this.”

“Way ahead of you, Zoro!” Namizo called, already at least twenty meters behind her.

Sora gave him a sharp look. “Were you even _planning_ on fighting?”

“Did you want me to?” Namizo countered.

Sora had to admit that she didn’t. The navigator, without any real weapons that she knew of, would be only a hindrance in a fight. “Fine. Stay there.”

“No problem!” Namizo agreed as Sora walked forwards. “Yeah, you can do it, Zoro! Punch their faces in! Cut them into pieces! Rip them to shreds! You can do it! Yeah! Go Zoro! Do it for Viv!”

“I don’t need a cheering squad!” Sora snapped, glaring at him over her shoulder. “If you’re not going to fight then go hide somewhere.”

Namizo quietened down for a moment, but then burst into cheers again.

Sora rolled her eyes, pulling the hilt of Wadou out of the sheath. “So…” she said conversationally to the Baroque Works agents – Miss Doublefinger and Mr One, if she remembered Viv’s explanation correctly. “Is this fight going to be interesting or easy?”

The two started to walk towards them. Miss Doublefinger was more or less sauntering, a sly smile on her face as she observed the two shouting. Mr One was less cocky, but there was no insecurity in his walk; he was fully confident in the imminent battle.

“Yeah, Zoro, you can do it! This is the sorta thing we keep you around for! It’s the only thing you’re good at, right? Yeah! Go Zoro!” Namizo kept cheering.

“Shut up!” Sora snapped at him, not taking her eyes off from the two approaching agents.

The enemies came closer. Sora’s hand curled around her sword, ready for them to lunge at her – except they didn’t. They kept walking straight past the ready swordsman. “Huh?”

“Yeah, hurry up and… finish them…” Namizo’s cheer was dying back rapidly as it occurred to him that apparently the agents had another target in mind. “Hey… what are you doing?”

Mr One looked at him emotionlessly as he approached. “First rule of assassination: take out the weaker target _first_.”

“We’ll show you how professionals handle these situations,” Miss Doublefinger added calmly, her eyes alight as she looked at Namizo.

“Uh… wait, no…!” Namizo stumbled backwards nervously. He glanced around desperately. “You can’t… uh, Zoro, a little help here?”

Part of Sora was tempted to remind her that the last time she’d rescued him from Baroque Works, she’d been blackmailed into rescuing Viv within the hour. She quickly banished that thought from her head. Money-hungry fiend or no, Namizo was nakama. It wasn’t like Sora had ever even considered the possibility of _not_ interfering, but letting him believe otherwise was cruel. “Yeah, I’m on it,” Sora said absently, moving rapidly after the Baroque Works agents.

Mr One glanced over his shoulder at the approaching swordsman, and then leapt into the air. Sora’s step turned into a sprint as every sense screamed at her to get to Namizo before Mr One could land.

She saw him holding out his hand as he neared the navigator. It didn’t look like it was supposed to be a blow, but somehow Sora doubted that he was going to tag him ‘it’. Instinctively she drew Yubashiri as she reached them, shoving Namizo out of the way and defending the blow with her blade.

The familiar sound of metal-on-metal rung through the air as Mr One slid his hand off from Yubashiri. Sora instinctively moved to the side, knowing that when two swords made a noise like that the blow deflected off. Sure enough, somehow there were huge gashes in the wall behind her, digging deep holes through the hopefully empty house.

Sora frowned, glaring at the Baroque Works agent. “That was the sound of a sword,” she stated.

Mr One brushed the side of his unharmed hand, exactly along the line where by all rights Sora should have sliced in half. “It was,” he confirmed calmly.

Before the last syllable had left his mouth, Kietsu was slicing through the air towards him. Mr One blocked it easily with the side of his arm, the blade not slipping past.

 “You have a rather unusual body, don’t you?” Sora said, withdrawing her blade slightly without lowering her guard. “Not many people with the ability to meet a sword with their arm.”

“You noticed,” Mr One said absently. His skin flickered in the Alabastan sunlight. “I ate the Dice-Dice fruit, making blades of my entire body. I am a swordsman in the most literal sense.”

 “I’m a swordsman too, but in no way literally,” Sora countered, a flicker of a smile crossing her face. “Do you want to test which way works better?”

“I know you’re a swordsman. Roronoa Zoro, correct? The one who cut down a hundred men at Whiskey Peak?”

Sora didn’t react, but her gleaming eyes may well have been answer enough.

“He’s also the former Pirate Hunter who turned down the invitation to join Baroque Works several years ago,” Miss Doublefinger added, swaying her hips from side to side. “During his refusal he cut down the then-Mr Seven.”

“That was you, too?” Mr One said, sounding almost intrigued.

Sora allowed her lips to stretch in a smile. “Sounds almost nostalgic. Your Mr Seven didn’t seem to like the idea that I would refuse to work under someone else. I would have agreed had he accepted the terms of me being the boss.”

“And yet you have a captain now?” Miss Doublefinger asked, somewhat amused.

“That’s different.” Sora’s smile crept wider. “Our captain earned every scrap of our loyalty. And that captain in question is probably beating up your boss right at this very moment.”

“You’re very confident,” Miss Doublefinger observed.

“Just stating the facts.”

“Miss Doublefinger?” Mr One asked without taking his eyes off Sora.

“Let me guess. You want to take him on yourself.” Miss Doublefinger sighed, before her eyes fell on Namizo. “Well, if you must. I’ll finish off the weakling.”

Sora swore under her breath. “Namizo, get out of-” she broke off abruptly as she realised the navigator had already disappeared.

A breath of wind was the first warning that she should not have glanced away from her opponent. Sora rapidly brought her blade up to block a slash that would have dug deep into her shoulder.

Some part of her still expected the cut to open up blood on his bare wrist, but her counterattack was blocked by the steel blades that made up his body. Sora grinned. “Is that the best you got?”

Miss Doublefinger left. Sora didn’t have time to worry about Namizo; she was sure he would be fine. The navigator might not be a fighter, but he’d probably already found himself a hiding place. Sora had to focus on the battle in front of her.

Mr One lunged. Sora blocked the blow, already coming to terms with the fact her opponent was made of steel. She dodged neatly backwards, before sending a violent slash forwards that may have decapitated an ordinary man, but was met by Mr One’s sharp forearms

“You look kinda familiar…” Sora said lightly, stepping backwards from the fight with her swords still held ready. “You were a bounty hunter in the… South Blue, was it?”

“West,” Mr One corrected.

“Right. So what happened to you? You’re Crocodile’s puppet, mindlessly fighting for his make-believe utopia. Do you enjoy playing his lapdog?”

Mr One remained impassive.

Sora shrugged. “If you don’t want to answer, that’s fine. I’ll kill you anyway.”

“I have a question,” Mr One said thoughtfully as Sora sheathed her swords and reached for the bandana tied around her arm. “You appear much more feminine than I expected, Roronoa Zoro. What gender are you?”

Sora paused, the bandana frozen in her hand. She glanced at him, a flash of the old insecurity curdling in her stomach.

Then she calmly pulled the bandana up to her head, covering the top of her green hair as she smiled wickedly. “Does it matter?” she asked in her natural voice.

Mr One considered the question. “No.”

Sora slipped Wadou into her mouth and the battle resumed.

**_ X _ **

Usoppa blinked as she was yanked to her feet. Unconsciousness was sounding much cosier, but whoever was in front of her didn’t seem to want to let her go.

The sniper blinked, trying to stay awake. “Uh… Sanae? Is it morning already?”

“Uh, yeah, sure. What happened?” Sanae pushed Usoppa backwards. The long-nosed girl stumbled, hitting the wall and using it as support.

“Well… uh… well, we got Mr Two to follow us alright,” Usoppa said, starting to remember what happened. “But… well, up until the point where he clobbered me and Eyelashes in two seconds. Barely a second each.”

“You held up as well as a camel?” Sanae grimaced. “You couldn’t have fought for just a little longer?”

“Hey! He was really strong! What are you doing here, anyway?”

“Your ducks came and got me,” Sanae said sharply. “But that’s not the point. You let Mr Two get away, didn’t you?”

“Uh… well…”

“So now we have someone who can convince Viv that he’s you going after him.” Sanae rubbed the bandage around her arm marking her as the real Sanae. Although technically Bon-Clay had no idea what she looked like, everyone on the crew had gotten one anyway.

The cook hesitated for just a moment, looking at the bloodied sniper. “Stay out of trouble,” she warned, running for the super-sonic ducks standing by. She hitched herself onto the nearest one’s back, balancing perfectly.

“Hey! I’ll have you know that I am the brave Captain Usoppa, and I… can handle myself…” Usoppa trailed off as Sanae disappeared into the distance. “Well, I can!” she muttered grumpily to herself, stumbling to her feet. “Come on, Eyelashes.”

Sanae hurtled through the streets of Alubarna, keeping her head low. All around her, battle raged. The rebellion had met the royal forces.

 The Alabastan city was unfamiliar, and Sanae could only hope the duck knew where it was going as they weaved through the roads. But sure enough, within a few minutes he saw a flash of blue hair.

Sanae leapt off the duck, landing perfectly on the ground. The duck didn’t decelerate, instead hitting as hard as it could into the back of the man standing in front of Viv.

“Aaaah!”

“What the…?” Viv was kneeling by Karoo’s bleeding form. The prince could only stare as the Baroque Works agent stumbled backwards.

He jumped when he heard footsteps next to him, spinning around to see who was there.

Sanae almost swooned to see how much his face lit up to see her. “Did you miss me?”

“Mmm-hmmm…” Viv seemed too overcome to talk, but nodded.

“ _Quack_ …” Karoo crooned weakly.

“You’ve been a real hero, Karoo,” Sanae said calmly, glancing at the injured bird. “As much of a prince as Viv. You can just rest for a bit.”

The blonde girl held out a hand to Viv, who accepted it and pulled himself up.

Sanae met his eyes with a grin. “You know, aren’t you supposed to be saving us all right now?”

“I…”

“You’ve got a kingdom to rescue.” Sanae cracked her knuckles. “And after that amazing way you saved me at Raindinners, it would only be fair for me to do my best to return the favour. I’ll handle the swan. You take care of your country.”

Viv blinked back tears. He couldn’t even protest that he’d done very little rescuing at Raindinners. “I… I will.”

“I think you’re _both_ going to need a rescue from me!” Mr Two snarled, running forwards.

Sanae’s leg snapped up, diverting Mr Two’s kick. The smile the chef gave didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Oh, I always need a rescue. But not because of you.”

Sanae gestured for Viv to go. The prince scrambled to his feet and started to sprint.

“Now look what you did!” Mr Two snapped, twirling around as the prince vanished. “You let him get away! Who are you, anyway?”

Sanae slowly put her leg down, reaching into her pocket for her box of cigarettes. They tasted disgusting from being soaked earlier, but still useable.

“You stole our sniper’s goggles.”

“Hmm?”

“You stole our sniper’s goggles. I’ll be taking them back for her.” Sanae lit her cigarette.

“Oh? If you’re another Straw Hat, then you must be Miss Princess.”

Sanae pulled her sunglasses off her face and threw them aside. “I’m Sanae: a first-class cook on Straw Hat Luffi’s crew.”

“A _cook_?” Bon-Clay said dismissively. Sanae scowled. “Well, _Miss Princess_ , you probably should have stayed in the kitchen where you belong. Cooks shouldn’t mess with pirates.”

“I said that I was the cook on a pirate ship,” Sanae said. She held one of her legs slightly off the ground, twirling her foot around. “I’m a pirate too. And you won’t have an easy time with me.”

Bon-Clay grimaced. “As much as I’d love to play, miss top-flight cook, I’ve got an assassination to carry out. So I suppose I’ll have to kill you quick. _Deux!_ ”

The Baroques Works agent leaped for the chef. In an instant Sanae had sidestepped him, twisting instinctively to avoid the kick that came spiralling towards her chest.

She spun on one food to avoid another blow, bringing her other leg up in a direct collision with his face. Mr Two was just as fast as she was, ducking nimbly out of the way.

Both combatants spun at the same time, kicking out towards the other’s face.

Sanae’s cigarette dropped from her mouth when the ballet flat slammed into her cheek. It didn’t stop her own boot from connecting with Mr Two’s jaw half a second afterwards.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment. Both glared at the other with dislike, not a hint of fear present.

Then both were thrown backwards against the relative safety of the walls, rubble rising up around them.

 “Bastard’s got a tough kick,” Sanae muttered, rubbing her jaw. She sighed wistfully. “I wish one of the boys were here to rescue me.”

She ignored the voice in her head reminding her that the only boy on their crew who had a chance in this fight would be Zoro, who she didn’t want to rescue her anyway.

“I can’t believe that a _cook_ countered my Oh-Come-My-Way Ballet Kempo!” Mr Two stumbled to his feet, glaring at Sanae. His make-up had smudged, or it might have just been blood at the side of his cheek. “You! Get out of my way!”

Sanae cricked her neck, pulling her face up in a snarl. “You’ll have to kill me first. And I told you before – I won’t go down easy.”

Mr Two held out a gloved hand. “You can’t hope to defeat me!”

He charged, pulling back a fist. Sanae twisted around, letting the punch fly over her head.

“It’s no use trying to escape my fists!”

Sanae ducked under the punch, then pushed herself off the ground. She grabbed onto Mr Two’s shoulders, holding herself in a perfect handstand.

Before her blonde hair even had a chance to properly fall, she kicked downwards, her foot connecting with Mr Two’s stomach.

Sanae let go, flipping through the air gymnastically as the ballet dancer stumbled backwards. She landed cat-like on the ground, watching coolly as Mr Two clutched his stomach. “Give up?”

“Not a chance! From now on I mean business, do you hear me?!” Mr Two shrieked, standing up straight.

Sanae raised one spiralled eyebrow. “Give it your best shot.”

“You don’t know what my power is, do you?” Mr Two challenged. “I have the power of the Clone-Clone fruit! I can copy any aspect of any face, and I can use that to construct a montage of the world’s most ridiculous faces! You won’t even be able to breathe for laughing! Observe!”

Sanae watched incredulously as Mr Two ran a hand over his facial features. “The world’s most ridiculous eyes! The world’s most ridiculous nose! The world’s most ridiculous teeth! The world’s most ridiculous lips! The world’s most ridiculous hair! Now… _voila_! The world’s most ridiculous face!”

Even if it was accurate, Sanae thought it was somewhat cruel that he had decided to use Usoppa’s nose.

For a long moment the two stood, Mr Two standing triumphantly and Sanae staring at him incredulously.

“You know… about ninety per-cent of that is your own face.”

“What?” Mr Two stared at her, his shoulders slumping.

Sanae sighed, then took a step forwards. Her foot collided hard and fast with the man’s chin. “Quit playing around!”

“Playing?!” Mr Two said incredulously, blood dripping from his jaw. “I am an _artist_!”

“I don’t have time for your art!”

Mr Two’s eye twitched. “Fine, fine, I see. There was someone like this once before. A man who gave me the victory because he couldn’t bear to hit the face of his friend.”

Sanae sighed, reaching for her pack of cigarettes again. “You would stoop so low. But whatever. That won’t work on me.”

“Oh really?” It was Usoppa’s voice, but it didn’t have the right inflection, and Usoppa’s eyes were alight with a malicious gleam the sniper never had. “Go ahead. Try to hit me now.”

Sanae took the invitation willingly, her boot cracking heavily into Mr Two’s head. Usoppa’s long nose cracked, but Sanae couldn’t find it in herself to feel guilt.

“This is the face of your friend!” Mr Two shouted, cradling his face with his left hand. “Do you not consider your crewmates as worth anything?!”

“Of course I do.” Sanae took the opportunity to light the cigarette. “Which is why I know the difference between you and them. You’re still you.”

Mr Two stared in shock as Sanae continued.

“I don’t care about what someone looks like. A person is their _soul_ , not their skin!”

“Their… their soul?” Mr Two squeaked, his eyes wide with what looked like fear and a little admiration. “W…wow!”

He covered his eyes as they started to water. “I’m so ashamed to have been caught up in what people look like! No matter who I look like, you won’t react, is that right?”

“Right,” Sanae said flatly.

Bon-Clay nodded mournfully, tapping the side of his face. “Even if I transform into, say, him, you won’t – hmm?”

Namizo’s brown eyes glanced over to where Sanae was standing. Bon-Clay had heard the cook’s sharp intake.

Sanae swallowed. “N-no… it won’t work on me,” she stumbled.

Mr Two blinked at her, taking in the slight red tinge on the cook’s face. Slowly, the shapeshifter began to grin.

 “Oh? So… being in _this_ form won’t mean anything to you?” he said slowly, a shrewd smile crossing Namizo’s face.

Sanae shook her head, her expression almost recovered again. Almost. “I told you. It doesn’t matter what you look like… even if you’re really cute… you’re still you.”

Mr Two smirked. Although a crafty expression was hardly out of place on Namizo, the sadistic gleam was. “You’re a fool.”

Mr Two got to his feet, and then ran forwards, his foot coming up towards Sanae’s ribs.

Sanae spun around, one leg blocking the kick. Then she straightened her leg and the toes of her boot crashed into Mr Two’s ribs.

The _crack_ was incredibly satisfying. Sanae pushed down any guilt she might feel for making Namizo’s face twist in pain.

“What?!” Mr Two gasped. “I thought that this face was too beautiful for you to hit.”

Sanae’s eyes were flashing. “You bastard. Namizo would never hit a lady. And I would never sit around and wait to be beaten up.”

As a matter of fact, Namizo had been known to introduce his fist to each of the crewmates at one point or another, with the possible exception of Viv. But that was different. Namizo never genuinely aimed to create lasting injuries, but had correctly figured out violence was quite often the only way to get the crew to act sensibly.

Beyond which, Sanae had an incredible pain tolerance even without fighting back. She was half-convinced half of the hits she received were love taps. Namizo was simply such a hero that he was incredibly powerful and so modest that he didn’t realise it.

“So…” the cook smiled wickedly, raising one leg above her head. “You going to keep up the fight?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Sanae has one significant advantage over Sanji that I have to admit, I quite enjoyed writing.
> 
> Any feedback would be really appreciated. Thank you so much to those who have already left reviews.


	16. Inspiration From Their Heroic Royal Prince

“Hey, Viv?” Sanae wanted to beam, but she could barely muster the energy to smile. “Thanks so much for caring, but you can’t tell anyone.”

“Wh – what?”

“We’re notorious pirates, aren’t we?” Sanae told the prince and his father. “The last thing we want is to get mixed up in politics.”

“But maybe some food would be nice…” Choppa mumbled.

“And a few hours rest,” Namizo said wistfully. “We’ll go crash at the palace for a while, that alright?”

“Of – of course,” Viv agreed, as he turned back to the square where the rebellion was being cancelled.

“I can’t hope to thank you enough,” Nefeltari said softly. “I hope to have a chance to do so later.”

“Yeah, yeah, just go,” Sora mumbled, resting her head against the wall.

The two members of the Alabastan royal family smiled, walking off again.

Sanae was barely able to wait for them to leave before her knees gave way. She collapsed, exhausted, to the ground, Namizo following suit.

Usoppa faltered. She clumsily hit the ground as Choppa curled up next to her. Sora was already long asleep, and Luffi had never regained consciousness.

**_ X _ **

“Going somewhere special?” Usoppa asked curiously.

Sanae didn’t look away from her reflection as she carefully applied eyeliner. “Not particularly.”

“Then why-?”

“Just wanted to. That a problem?”

“Guess not,” Usoppa shrugged. The long-nosed girl watched her with interest for a moment, wondering if she would pull away the curtain of hair to do the other eye, but either Sanae had already done that one or she wasn’t bothering to decorate an area that no-one ever saw. “Where’d you learn to do that, anyway?”

“Huh? Put on makeup, you mean?” Sanae stowed away the eyeliner. “At Baratie. Why?”

“Nothing. I just thought that that restaurant didn’t really seem like the sort of place where you’d learn.”

Sanae glanced at the sniper, then shrugged. “I wasn’t the only girl who ever worked there and some of the women did like to wear makeup. They gave me tips. Plus there were a couple of men who looked good in blush – and one who could never put it on properly, but he _could_ make a cake that was lighter than air so no-one cared.” The cook smiled fondly at the memories. “And we had magazines and stuff with tutorials, too.”

“Oh. Okay.” Usoppa glanced at the door. “I’m going to go see if they’ve got anything at the markets. Did you want to come?”

“Yeah. Terracotta gave me a couple of Alabastan recipes, so I want to see if I can get the ingredients to try them with.”

The two girls stepped out the door, talking lightly as they passed Chaka, who waved. The pirates waved back, not breaking from their cheery conversation.

Luffi still hadn’t woken up, but Choppa had finally broken her fever that morning. With the overwhelming relief that announcement brought, the Straw Hats were almost giddy and enjoying the chance to talk normally, without the dark cloud of their captain’s wellbeing hanging over their heads.

Sanae looked glamorous as they walked down the street, proven by several people taking double takes when they saw her. In addition to the makeup, she’d also embraced the Alabastan heat with a midriff bearing singlet and a short skirt that showed off her long, hairless, and well-muscled legs. Not to mention the fact that she had a wave of blonde hair, bright blue eyes and a physique created through years of gymnastics.  

Usoppa was honestly surprised that they almost managed to get to the markets without the cook noticing the attention she was getting. Maybe it was just that the majority of citizens were more concerned on fixing their city.

“And what are a couple of lovely ladies like yourself doing here this fine day?” A man in his early twenties stepped into their way, smiling sweetly.

Despite addressing both of them, he only had eyes for Sanae. Usoppa was a tad insulted.

“Going to the markets, naturally,” Sanae said flirtatiously. She tilted her head and gave him a smile. “What about you?”

“Helping to rebuild.” The man held out his hand. “I’m Ain.”

“Sanae.” Sanae took his hand.

Instead of shaking her head, Ain brought it to his lips and gently kissed it. Sanae nearly swooned.

Usoppa had a feeling this could take a while. “I’m going to be over here if you need me, Sanae.”

Sanae didn’t even acknowledge her friend leaving.

Usoppa didn’t wander far, choosing instead to browse the nearest stalls. Alabasta had few weapons she could use, but plenty of chemicals with which to make various combinations. The sniper spent nearly twenty minutes haggling, eventually reaching a fair price for her various purchases.

She glanced around to where she had last seen Sanae.

The blonde girl was now surrounded by admiring men, hearts where her eyes should be as she managed to flirt with all five at once.

Usoppa decided to check if the market had anything else interesting.  

She’d spent fifteen minutes browsing when a hand caught her shoulder. “So did you find where the food section of the marketplace is?” Sanae asked lightly.

Usoppa considered getting indignant about the cook brushing her off, but honestly she was still too light-hearted from Luffi’s recovery to care. “Uh, yeah, actually, I did.”

“Then lead the way.”

The two easily picked through the marketplace, walking around men and women beginning to rebuild their city.

“These people sure are tough,” Usoppa commented, hearing people request for their neighbours to pass them building materials.

“They probably take inspiration from their heroic royal prince…” Sanae mused, her eyes misting over slightly.

“If you say so.” Usoppa couldn’t deny Alabasta’s prince was heroic, but she wasn’t entirely sure about the connection.

Seeing the lovestruck look in her eyes was nothing new, but with Sanae wearing full make-up and shorter than usual clothes, she looked different. It wasn’t a _bad_ thing per se, but a stranger would never have taken the habitually lovesick cook as a dangerous pirate who would happily take on the worst dangers in the Grand Line.

 “Hey! What happened to these walls?!” one of the builders demanded furiously. “Did someone kick _through_ it?!”

But whatever Sanae looked like, it would be a mistake to assume she wasn’t capable, Usoppa thought wryly as Sanae quickly started to steer her in the other direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, it’s a short one. I just wanted to do one in which Sanae showed off a bit of femininity, and Usoppa needed some love too.  
> Comments are, as ever, an absolute delight.  
> Happy Easter!


	17. “Enemy On Board, Enemy On Board, We Have A Stowaway!”

**Chapter Seventeen:** **“Enemy on board, enemy on board, we have a stowaway!”**

“ _But if we ever meet again – will you call me your shipmate?!_ ”

Viv’s parting shout still seemed to ring through the _Merry._

Admittedly, Sora missed him too. She wished they could have had a better goodbye, but from the delighted shout that the wind had carried towards them, he’d still been happy. He’d held his own ‘x’ into the air in a promise of friendship.

But despite missing him, she thought the rest of her crew were being rather useless now that Alabasta was long out of sight.

“Are you really going to sit around and mope for the rest of the day?” Sora said, glaring at the other Straw Hats. Her crewmates were collapsed, listless and lethargic.

“Yeah.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“Uh-huh.”

“What’s wrong with you guys?” Sora demanded.

“ _We miss Viv!_ ”

Sora groaned. She glanced at the faces turned towards her, all looking depressed. Luffi’s upper lip was wobbling, Choppa’s eyes were filled with tears, Usoppa was staring at the ground, Sanae’s cigarette was almost falling out of her pouting mouth and Namizo’s face was scrunched up.

“Well, get over it, he’s not here. If you couldn’t bear to leave him, then you should have kidnapped him.”

The reaction was immediate. Every one of the Straw Hats stopped sulking and started glaring at her with anger.

“Barbarian!”

“Despicable!”

“Moss-head!”

“Three swords!”

“Luffi, three-swords is not an insult.”

“Four swords!”

“You just added one! Try _rotten_.”

“Okay, okay, yeesh,” Sora interrupted Usoppa’s attempt to teach Luffi insults. “Cry for all I care then.”

The door to the cargo hold opened. “Oh, good. We’re out to sea,” a male voice said thoughtfully.

There was a full beat of silence as everyone turned to look at the man who had stepped onto the deck. Then the listless mood was broken as everyone scrambled to action.

“ _YOU?!_ ”

“If you’re here for a fight then bring it on!” Sora snapped, unsheathing two of her swords.

“Why are you here, you Baroque Works bastard?!” Namizo shouted, scrambling backwards away from their stowaway.

“Who are you and what are you doing on our ship?!” Sanae snapped, leaping down from the balcony next to the kitchen. She landed easily on the deck, glaring at the man suspiciously.

“Enemy on board, enemy on board, we have a stowaway!” Usoppa chanted loudly.

Choppa scrambled upwards, clutching onto the balcony railing desperately. “Who’s he?! How did he get here?!”

Luffi stared in shock as she recognised the man in question. “You’re not dead?” she asked, sounding more confused than anything else.

Mr All-Sunday sighed, glancing at Sora’s swords. “I believe I’ve already asked you not to point such dangerous things at me.”

There was a distinct smack as two hands, one for both sides of Sora, slapped at her grip. The swords clattered to the ground as Sora tried not to panic to the unexpected limbs popping out of her side.

“When did you even get on board this ship?!” Namizo shouted furiously as he scrambled to where All-Sunday was.

“Hmm? Before we left. I’ve been reading for a fair while. I hope you don’t mind that I borrowed some clothes – they’re yours, right?” All-Sunday said lightly to the navigator.

“ _What are you up to, Baroque Works?!_ ”

All-Sunday ignored him, turning to the captain with a smile on his face. “Monkey D. Luffi.”

“Uh, yes?”

“I hope you haven’t forgotten what you did to me,” All-Sunday said, taking a step towards the captain. It wasn’t a threatening movement, but the rest of the crew went on high alert.

“Whatever she did, you probably deserved it,” Sanae snarled.

“I didn’t do _anything_ to you!” Luffi shouted.

All-Sunday stopped walking, watching Luffi with an unreadable smile. “No. I clearly remember. You did, so, take responsibility.”

“What do you _want?!_ ” Luffi snapped furiously.

All-Sunday’s smile grew wider. “I want to join your crew.”

The entire crew shouted at him at once. “ _WHAT?!_ ”

All-Sunday considered thoughtfully. “I wanted to die. You forced me to live. That’s your crime,” he said. “Take responsibility. Let me join your crew.”

Luffi looked at him blankly, and then a grin crossed her face. “That makes sense, I guess. Sure!”

Sora, Namizo and Usoppa all spun around to glare at her. “Luffi!”

Luffi waved the incredulity of her crew aside. “Don’t worry. He’s a good guy!”

Choppa was looking curiously at the black-haired man, who was now leaning confidently on the railing of the _Merry._ Sanae was more appraising, frowning suspiciously at the man. She was pretty sure that was the man who had been on board when they first met Viv, what seemed like a lifetime ago, and she hadn’t been able to figure out what side he was on then either.

“So, who exactly are you, then?” Sanae asked finally.

The man glanced at Sanae and gave her a slight smile that made her go slightly weak in the knees. “My name is Nico Roben.”

“He used to be Crocodile’s partner,” Usoppa said nervously, taking a step to the side as if hoping the mast would help shield her.

“But I don’t know your name,” Nico Roben said to Sanae. “I don’t think we met at Alabasta.”

“Uh, no. I’m Sanae.”

“I see. You must be the elusive Miss Princess, then,” Roben mused. “Well, you’re certainly as beautiful as the name you originally chose implied.”

It might have been a calculated manipulation or just plain luck, but either way at those words Sanae melted. She giggled, swooning, and beamed at Roben. “Welcome to the crew, then!”

“Come on, Luffi, see reason!” Usoppa pleaded with the captain. “At least let us have an interview with him first!”

“An interview?” Luffi cocked her head to the side. “Okay! You can do it!”

“Well, I – I suppose I am Captain Usoppa, the master interrogator. I can find out if he’s here for revenge,” Usoppa decided, though her voice cracked.

Roben only smiled.

Usoppa quickly set up a table. Roben politely sat down when Usoppa was finished, leaning confidently on the chair.

Sanae had moved to the kitchen, humming under her breath. Namizo was watching the stowaway suspiciously from the staircase. Sora was sitting by the other side of the mast, listening to the conversation. Luffi and Choppa were being fascinated by Roben’s ability to spout limbs.

“How are you even doing that?” Usoppa asked dazedly, glancing at the arms that were moving from side to side in front of the two youngest Straw Hats.

“Hmm?” Roben glanced at her and smiled.

Usoppa shrieked and tipped backwards as an arm spouted out in front of her, dissolving again almost instantly. The sniper hit the ground with a thud, looking weakly at Roben. “Yeah, that. How did you-”

“I ate the Bloom-Bloom fruit when I was young,” Roben explained. Effortlessly hands appeared next to the upturned chair, straightening it. Several hands held Usoppa in place to prevent her from falling, and then disappeared once she was steady. “I have the ability to blossom any part of my body anywhere within my sight.”

“I… okay.” Usoppa nodded. It was one of the creepiest abilities she had seen, but not by much. She swallowed. “So, uh, Nico Roben… what is it that you do, exactly?”

“Well, I’m an archaeologist,” Roben said cheerfully.

“Seriously?”

“Yes. It’s a tradition in my family. But when I was eight years old, the navy put a bounty on my head.” Roben shrugged. “For the past twenty years I’ve been chased by the government. As I was a child, I couldn’t survive on my own. I’ve had to join various pirate ships and bandit gangs.”

“I suppose you’re counting Crocodile in this?”

“Naturally. He was simply a means to an end.”

“I see… what did you do on these ships?” Usoppa asked.

“Oh, all sorts of tasks. Sometimes it was merely managerial parts, such as helping design a plan or to divvy up treasure. I’m quite organised, you see,” Roben explained. Then he smiled, a touch more bite in his grin. “Although my specialty has long been assassination.”

 “Luffi!” Usoppa snapped her head backwards to look at the rubberwoman and ignoring Roben’s chuckle. “I’ve just decided that he is far too dangerous!”

Luffi wasn’t paying attention. She and Choppa were too busy focusing on Roben’s hand springing from the floorboards. The hand curved at the wrist, before hitting the ground. Luffi’s head bounced off the wood too, following it.

“You aren’t even listening to me!” Usoppa shrilled.

“Well, it doesn’t matter what those idiots do. I won’t trust you,” Namizo warned. He was holding his old staff tightly in his hand. “You were Crocodile’s partner. The moment you act at all suspicious I will throw you overboard myself.”

Roben shrugged, still chuckling. “I’ll keep that in mind. You’re the navigator, right?”

“That’s right.” Namizo’s frown didn’t lessen.

Roben lightly dropped a small bag on the table. It clinked when it landed. “Then I suppose you’re the one who takes care of the treasure, such as these gems I took from Crocodile?”

“I knew I liked you!” Namizo had already slung an arm cheerfully around Roben’s shoulder, grinning with the kind of fervour only treasure could incite from him.

Sora groaned. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

Usoppa stood next to her, accurately seeing the swordsman as her only ally. “He bribed Namizo!”

“He’s playing dirty,” Sora agreed darkly.

“Aah, love,” Sanae’s voice bubbled over the deck. The cook moved into view, twirling around. “Beautiful love, I am tossed through the ocean waves under your power, struck by whatever spell you send towards me, and will take anything given to me gladly…” she stopped next to the table Roben was sitting at. “I made you a snack.”

Roben took it in his stride. “Thank you very much.”

“And there goes the love-cook,” Sora grumbled.

“She was a lost cause the moment he called her beautiful,” Usoppa agreed.

Sora sighed. “I guess we’re the only ones left.”

“Looks like it.”

“Hey, Usoppa!”

“Huh?” the sniper turned to where Luffi was waving.

On both sides of Luffi’s straw hat, two arms were bursting out, hands spread out in a parody of reindeer horns. “I’m Choppa!”

Usoppa’s resolve destructed as she collapsed to the ground, screaming in laughter.

Sora rolled her eyes in disgust, stepping over her howling form.

“This is a rather lively ship, isn’t it?” Roben said lightly, walking to stand next to her. “Is it always like this?”

Sora glanced at her distrustfully. “Pretty much.”

“What fun,” Roben smiled.

Sora continued to glare at him, unhampered by his apparent nonchalance. _What is he planning?_

Roben could easily tell that the green-haired girl distrusted him. But in all honesty, he would have been amazed if no-one had been suspicious of him at all. He was surprised enough as it was that the captain seemed to have accepted him in a heartbeat.

In fact, Roben had learnt to judge the crews of a ship he joined very quickly. Although he’d never actually met any crew quite like this, every instinct he had told him that he was going to have fun for however long he was on the ship.

**I really liked this chapter, got to admit. Roben is such fun to write. And I'm also really looking forward to the next chapter, which I know some of you are too. (As a hint, the title of the next chapter is "How the hell could YOU be a girl?!")**

**Any reviews or comments would be much appreciated.**


	18. “How The Hell Could YOU Be A Girl?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for something I know most of you have been waiting for!

**Chapter Eighteen: “How the hell could YOU be a girl?”**

Sora watched Roben suspiciously as the new crewmate set up his area of the boy’s room. He didn’t seem to have brought much with him, but was still able to put a distinct style in just the way it was arranged.

It make Sora’s eye twitch to watch Roben pull off the ways Viv had settled it. It wasn’t like Viv had left anything important on the ship – and if he had, there was no way to get it back to him. But it still was annoying to watch.

Of course, there was nothing else for it. Viv wasn’t going to use his bed anymore, and the boy’s room simply didn’t have anywhere else for him to sleep. That didn’t change the fact Sora would much rather have Mr Nine than Mr All-Sunday on the crew.

“Is something wrong?” Roben asked her without turning from how he was arranging his bed.

Namizo was lying casually on his, inspecting one of the gems Roben had bribed him with. “What? Not particularly.”

“Oh, sorry. I was talking to Miss Swordsman, actually. She’s been staring at me ever since I entered. Is something wrong?”

Namizo frowned, stopping his inspection of the jewel and safely storing it in his pocket. “Wait-”

“I don’t trust you,” Sora said flatly.

Roben shrugged. “I see.”

“Uh, what did you call Zoro?” Namizo sat up on his bed, wondering why he was the only one to notice the name.

Roben sat down on his bed, satisfied with his adjustments. “I called her ‘Miss Swordsman’. Is that a problem?” The question was more directed at Sora than Namizo.

“Fine, I guess.” Preferable to any of the plant nicknames, at least.

Namizo stared at him blankly, then at Sora.

Sora had a sudden sinking feeling in her stomach as it occurred to her that Roben had used a feminine title for her, one that by all accounts he should not have known to use. More than that, she had just confirmed it. _Stupid!_

“Why would you think Zoro’s a girl?” Namizo asked after a moment.

Roben looked startled. He glanced at Sora. “Oh, I’m sorry. Was I mistaken?”

“Uh…” Sora shifted uncomfortably. A small part of her desperately wanted to lie, but another part was beyond sick of having to pretend. She was a girl, she was a swordsman, she was going to be the world’s greatest swordsman, and she was running out of reasons to hide _any_ of that. “Well…”

 Namizo watched the swordsman fidget, a blush starting to creep up his – _her?_ – face.

Confusion switched slowly to realization, but realization was quick to become complete shock.

“I… I… I have to go.” Namizo jumped to his feet and sprinted from the room.

Sora grimaced. She ran a hand over Wadou’s handle, just for the comfort the familiar weight brought.

“I’m sorry,” Roben said after a moment of silence. “Was that supposed to be a secret?”

“Nothing to do about it now,” Sora muttered. She realised dully that she was speaking in her natural female voice. In fact, now she thought about it, she couldn’t remember putting any effort into acting male since they actually reached Alabasta.

Well… she’d let her guard down, and so would have to deal with the consequences.

Namizo stormed back into the room and pointed furiously at Sora. “Okay, how the _hell_ could _you_ be a girl?”

“Born that way,” Sora answered with a shrug.

“But… _how?_ ”

“How was I born?” Sora wasn’t entirely sure what answer Namizo was expecting.

“No, I mean… urgh!” Namizo stamped his foot. “How can _Santoryu Zoro,_ the _pirate’s terror of the East Blue_ be a _girl_?”

Sora’s hands curled into fists. “You don’t think that a girl can be a good enough fighter to get that reputation?” she asked defensively.

“Of course I think girls can be fighters, have you seen our crew?” Namizo said dismissively. “I just want to know if you’re the _real_ Roronoa Zoro, or if there’s an actual one in the East Blue still hunting pirates.”

Sora’s mouth twitched. Her fingers unclenched somewhat, but couldn’t entirely relax. “No, I’m the real Roronoa Zoro, as much as anyone is. I’ve been calling myself that for about… four years, now.”

Namizo could only stare at her incredulously. “Wait. You mean… _that’s not even your real name?_ ”

“No.”

“Then what _is?!_ ”

“Sora,” Sora admitted casually, shrugging. Despite her casual appearance, her stomach was in knots. She hadn’t said her name aloud since she’d fought Hawkeye. “My name’s Roronoa Sora.”

Namizo took a deep breath, and then exploded again. “ _Why?!_ What on earth could have possessed you to – to – I don’t even know how to deal with this! You can’t be a girl! _Why_ would you pretend to be a boy for… for _four_ years?!”

Sora’s eyes flickered. Her voice was steady, but she couldn’t meet Namizo’s eyes. “I was sick of being told girls couldn’t swordsmen.”

“You were _sick_ of it?!” Namizo repeated incredulously. “So you decided to be a boy? How many times could you have possibly have been told that?!”

“Every day for fifteen years,” Sora said dully.

Namizo seemed to cut off abruptly. “Every… day?”

Sora shrugged. “Well, probably closer to fourteen. Ever since I could pick up a stick and hit someone with it, someone told me girls weren’t supposed to act like that since they would always be beaten by a boy. In the end I just got sick of everyone making things harder than they had to be.”

Some part of Sora’s mind cringed at the memory of her being accused of cheating when she won spars in dojos; it wouldn’t have been so bad if it hadn’t happened at least a third of all her victories as a child.

“Well, I… I guess that makes sense… but… you… oh I don’t know how to deal with this…” Namizo sat down on his hammock, cradling his head.

“Deal with what? I’m a girl. What’s it matter?” Sora asked. “I’m still the same person I was yesterday.”

“You don’t even have the same _name_ …”

“Then call me Zoro. It really doesn’t matter to me.”

“If I may interrupt,” Roben cut in before Namizo could say anything else. “Do any of your other crewmates know?”

“Uh, Choppa does.” Sora glanced at the area that Viv used to occupy, now taken by Nico Roben. “And… just her.”

“You told _Choppa_?” Namizo asked incredulously. “And no-one else?”

“Well… yeah. She’s the doctor. It came up.”

“I see. I just wanted to be wary in case I accidentally revealed too much to someone else again,” Roben said politely. “Incidentally, if I may ask another question, are you planning on telling anyone else on the crew?”

Sora found she had no answer. Her fingers brushed against her swords again, feeling the familiar warmth from the weapons.

She couldn’t really foresee a future when she kept up the lie to her friends forever. More so, she didn’t _want_ to keep it up. She’d already decided when she’d admitted to Namizo that there was no reason to hide from her crew.

“I… yeah. Yeah, I guess I am.”

“Well, this is really unexpected,” Namizo murmured.

“Yeah, well, get over it,” Sora told him flatly.

“Oh, no.” Namizo shook his head, a surprisingly scheming smile beginning to cross his face. “You’ve been lying to us since we met you. Since _before_ we met you, in fact, since we all knew your reputation which you obviously faked on purpose.”

“ _Faked?_ I earned every bit of my reputation just as well as if I were a man-”

“So I’m going to have to charge you a five hundred thousand berry deception fee.”

“ _What?!_ That’s ridiculous!” Sora snapped furiously.

“Too bad. You’ve been lying to us, so you’ll have to pay up.”

“It’s not like you’ve ever actually _asked_ if I was a girl or not!”

“Would you have answered if I had?”

“Well, probably not, but still-”

“Exactly. I’ll be adding that to your debt. With interest, naturally, until you manage to pay it off-”

“ _What_ debt? You already said you’d forgive that!”

“Maybe so, but you’ve just had a new one open up.”

“That’s the most ridiculous-”

“Do you have any other secrets you’d like to share before I add even more to the fee?”

“No, I don’t, and that’s the stupidest-”

“I’ll hold you to that ‘no more secrets’ thing.”

“I can’t believe you actually made this about _money_ -!”

Roben smiled slightly behind his hand, watching the byplay in amusement. He supposed he did feel bad for revealing the swordsman’s secret, but if she did indeed want everyone to know then it would probably prove to be a good thing.

He probably could make himself useful in this in some way. Of course, he wouldn’t want to intrude, but if the swordsman agreed to it then he would happily help.

**_ X _ **

“Good morning,” Roben said lightly without looking up from his book as Sora got to her feet. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah…” Sora grumbled, giving him a distrustful look. But the former Baroque Works agent hadn’t tried to kill anyone in their sleep, so that was something, at least. Not that he could; Sora was confident that she’d have woken up before he got the first step out of bed.

“Did you have anything planned for today?” Roben continued, making another stab at conversation.

Sora ignored him as she knelt by her chest of drawers, rummaging through them for something to wear. Typically she just threw on the first thing she found and saw no reason to break that pattern, grabbing a white shirt that looked clean.

“If you wanted to try to look more feminine as a way of ‘coming out’ to the crew, I could help adjust your clothes,” Roben offered.

Sora’s head snapped around to look at him. After a brief moment of staring blankly, the implications of that sank in and she scowled. “I’ll pass.”

“Suit yourself.” Roben looked back at his book.

Sora turned back to her clothes, still scowling. What would ‘more feminine’ even entail? Unless he was planning on adding some traditionally girlish design, the only option Sora could see would be cutting the shirt slightly to be more figure-hugging or open. She hadn’t actually worn any clothes like that in years, but assumed that tight clothes worked like bandages in that they made it harder to move. If there were going to be no doctors with unreasonable cuteness staring at her with those disappointed eyes, then there was absolutely no reason to deal with that.

After a moment it occurred to her that she was just glaring at her clothes without doing anything about it. She jerked out of her reverie, picking out the rest of her clothes.

Now that Roben had mentioned it, dressing more feminine might actually be a good way to raise the subject, although she didn’t intend on asking for help. Sora glanced back at the clothing pile, wondering if she actually had anything more… girlish.

A hand sprouted from the chest of drawers. Sora yelped, instinctively reaching for her sword as the limb reached into her clothes, pulling out a shirt she hadn’t worn in months.

The swordsman spun around, glaring daggers at Roben. Somehow the archaeologist had moved from his hammock and was already walking out the door in the brief moment Sora had glanced away. He closed the door behind him without looking up from his book, although the slightest hint of a smile played on his face.

Sora groaned. It had been hard enough to get used to Luffi’s tendency to send part of her body far away, and at least the rubberwoman stayed connected to hers. Admittedly, Luffi was the first devil fruit user Sora had ever met, but even with Sora’s experience, Nico Roben’s ability was strange.

Grumbling to herself, Sora glanced at the shirt Roben had tossed out, a faded kind of pink shirt.

It took a moment to remember. After all, Sora typically avoided pink as much as she could. She hated risking acting girly in any way, avoiding all types of jewellery and skipping anything even vaguely pink.

She only had this shirt at all because of Luffi. A few months ago she’d started to wash her clothes, only to discover that Luffi had left her red vest in the washing basin. The previously white shirt was the only thing that had been affected, but Sora hated to waste and so simply shoved it at the bottom of her drawers.

Roben had probably seen a glimpse of pink, although Sora could have sworn he was focused on his book. Forget spouting arms, it was just _creepy_ if he could know things like that.

Sora glared at the shirt. She wasn’t going to give in to the former-Baroque Works agent’s suggestion. He and his uncanny ability to know everything was downright suspicious, and she was _just fine_ dressing however she wanted. Not to mention, the colour was uncomfortable…

Wait – there was no way she was going to be scared of _pink_. If she was developing a fear of being recognised as a girl, then she’d have to get over that fear. What kind of a swordsman was made uncomfortable by a _colour_?

When she emerged from the room wearing a pink shirt that was more form-fitting than it had been when it was white – or maybe that was just the result of wearing a sports-bra instead of a binder – Sora could have sworn Roben smiled. But then he buried himself back in his book again, the smile hidden once more.

Across the deck, Usoppa did a double-take as the swordsman started to train, swords flashing in familiar movements to battle the air.

It wasn’t so much that Zoro was wearing pink. He looked good in – well, actually, no, it clashed terribly with his green hair. But there was something else about that shirt that enhanced a figure Usoppa hadn’t been expecting to see on display.

She glanced around the deck, trying to figure out if anyone else had noticed, and her eyes locked on the navigator. Namizo kept shooting disbelieving looks at the swordsman, obviously distracted by something.

Roben seemed to miss whatever it was, still absorbed in his book. Sanae was focusing on their new crewmate, occasionally darting from the galley to check if he was enjoying himself, if he wanted something to eat, something to drink, or anything else he might desire. Choppa didn’t seem to notice anything, enjoying the early morning sunlight. Luffi was oblivious to anything and everything; Usoppa would have been surprised if she _had_ noticed anything was different.

Carefully, the sniper got to her feet and walked over to where Namizo was sitting hunched over cartography maps. The navigator still kept glancing up on occasion, staring at Zoro as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Hey, Namizo. Is something wrong?” Usoppa sat down next to him.

Namizo glanced around to see the sniper, frowning. “You could say that, I guess.”

“Is it to do with Zoro?”

“You noticed?”

“Um, yeah,” Usoppa agreed cautiously. She gave Namizo a sidelong look. “So what do you think it is?”

“Well,” Namizo stretched out the word, shooting daggers at the swordsman in question. “Apparently ‘ _Zoro_ ’ has been keeping a secret from us. One that no-one would have guessed.”

Despite the fact boasting hadn’t really been her intention, Usoppa couldn’t help herself. “No, maybe _you_ wouldn’t have figured it out! But _I_ am the great Captain Usoppa! My detective skills are unsurpassed and I can unravel any mystery!” She faltered. “So, just to check, what do you think it is?”

Namizo snorted, but the secret was too big not to share. “Well, _Captain Usoppa_ , as it turns out, Roronoa Zoro is in fact a girl.”

“No, he’s not,” Usoppa said without missing a beat.

“Yes, _she_ is!” Namizo snapped indignantly.

“No, he’s not.”

“Yes, she is!”

“It is true, Usoppa,” Choppa interrupted. The little reindeer had heard their conversation and walked over, her little sundress fluttering in the breeze. “She told me. She’s been pretending she was a boy for years, but she’s really a girl.”

Usoppa sighed. “I’m pretty sure if Zoro was a girl, he’d have mentioned it by now. Come on. He doesn’t really keep secrets. Zoro’s an open book, really.”

“But it’s true!” Choppa protested. She looked up at Usoppa with wide eyes. “I asked, and she-”

“Choppa, he-” Usoppa began.

“I’m a doctor!” Choppa snapped at her angrily. “I know exactly what the difference is between a boy and a girl, and Zoro is a _girl_!”

Usoppa sighed. “Look, I already knew he’s one biologically, but that doesn’t make him a girl.”

“No, I asked if she-” Choppa began to explain.

Namizo cut the doctor off. “Wait, what do you mean you knew?”

“Remember that time with Hawkeye?” Usoppa said.

Choppa and Namizo both shook their heads.

“Oh, right. You weren’t there,” Usoppa realised. “Well, you did both know that Hawkeye cut him across the chest, right?”

“Yes,” Namizo said hesitantly.

“Well, me, Johnny and Yosaku had to fix him up. It only took a glance for the Great Captain Usoppa to understand what the situation was.”

In reality, Usoppa hadn’t noticed anything was weird until she’d managed to stymie the blood flow somewhat. Then she’d started gaping, stunned by the new turn of events, until the two bounty hunters had helped fill her in.

“My conclusions were confirmed by the trusty Johnny and Yosaku. They told me they’ve known he was trans for years, but they were also pretty sure Zoro doesn’t know we know. So I figured I’d keep quiet too, unless he wanted to tell us. It doesn’t really make any difference though.”

“Are you done?” Namizo asked impatiently.

“Aren’t you?” Usoppa challenged.

“Um, Usoppa?” Choppa said shyly.

“Yes, Choppa?”

“I asked. She said that she wasn’t trans. She said she just pretended to be a boy.”

“…Oh.” Usoppa was silent for a minute. “Wait, _what_?”

 “Yes,” Choppa said emphatically, nodding. “She said she was a girl.”

The sniper glanced around to see if anyone else had noticed their conversation. Roben was still reading his book, and Sanae was still working on breakfast. Luffi was sitting on her special seat, watching the ocean with a grin. The subject of their conversation was just as oblivious, working on picking up heavier and heavier weights.

Usoppa watched the swordsman for a moment and then uncertainly turned back to her nakama. “But… it’s _Zoro_. He doesn’t keep secrets. I mean, maybe he’s a bit private about some things, but he couldn’t… I mean, he wouldn’t… look, him _actually_ being a girl isn’t…”

Namizo glared at her. “Ask her, if you don’t believe us. She’s a girl.” Judging from his expression, he was just as confused at this turn of events as Usoppa was, but he scowled at the sniper anyway.

“Fine. I will.” Usoppa got to her feet and walked over to where the Straw Hat swordsman was training. “Hey, Zoro?”

“Hmm? Yeah?” Sora didn’t break off from her training as she balanced on her hands perfectly, the huge dumbbell supported by her legs.

“Um… odd question.” Usoppa shifted uncomfortably.

“Are you going to ask it or just stand there?”

“Okay. I… uh… well… the thing is… are you a… girl?” She probably could have phrased it better. “I mean, like, mentally as well-”

“Yeah.” Sora didn’t blink, seeming unconcerned at the question.

“Yeah, see, sorry, it was just-” Usoppa stopped abruptly as the answer sunk in. “Wait, _what_?”

“I said yeah.” Sora glanced up at her from her handstand position. “I’m a girl.”

“But… they… how…?” Usoppa flailed dramatically. “How? Why?”

Sora gave her an odd look and then dropped her head back to the ground, adjusting her handstand. “I’m a girl. What else do you want me to say?”

“Oh, nothing, nothing at all,” Usoppa said weakly, her hands dropping. She stared at Sora for a moment, speechless.

“If you’re not going to do anything, go away,” Sora grunted, adjusting her arms to bring her closer to the ground and then straightening again.

Usoppa obligingly started backing away, still staring at the swordsman. Then she fled back to where Namizo and Choppa were watching her.

“So what did she say?” Namizo asked dryly.

“Well, he… I mean… _she_ … how-how long have you known?” Usoppa asked weakly, sprawling into a chair limply.

 “Aah! Call a doctor; I think Usoppa’s sick!”

“Roben noticed. I found out last night,” Namizo answered the sniper as Choppa frantically checked her temperature.

“I’m fine,” Usoppa muttered as the doctor crawled off her again. “Just a little traumatised.”

“Oh. Okay.” Choppa leaped neatly to the ground, then blinked at the two humans innocently. “I don’t think it really matters, though. I mean, Zoro’s still Zoro, isn’t she?”

“Apparently her name’s Sora,” Namizo put in.

She was met by two incredulous stares.

“But… but she didn’t tell _me_ that…” Choppa said quietly, sounding betrayed.

“Zoro’s not Zoro at all?” Usoppa asked blankly.

Namizo grinned, enjoying the feeling of knowing something the others didn’t. Usually in this situation he would exploit it, but as Zoro/Sora didn’t care and he’d already revealed the main point, he decided there was no incentive in holding back. “Roronoa Sora. From what I understand, he – sorry, _she_ started calling herself that when she started pretending to be a guy.”

“Well, do you know _why_ she started that up?” Usoppa asked.

Namizo smirked. “Depends on what you’re willing to trade for that information…” he sing-songed.

Usoppa frowned. “I don’t have to trade! I can just ask him – her! After all, I am the brave Captain Usoppa, who would gladly interrogate anyone on any subject, no matter how difficult or reluctant – but please don’t make me bring it up with hi-her again, Namizo, I’m already in debt to you as it is.”

“Alright, but just this once,” Namizo agreed, smiling. Having answers did wonders for his confidence. “From what she said, I think she was always told that girls can’t be swordsmen. I guess while most girls would eventually give up after a constant repetition of that, Sora over there decided just to dress up like a guy.”

“Well, I guess that makes sense…” Usoppa said slowly. She couldn’t honestly say that she’d met any sexism of the level it would take to wear down _Zoro_ (or Sora) in her life, but that didn’t mean she doubted it existed.

Just then, Sanae’s voice rang out over the ship. “Breakfast!”

The Straw Hats scrambled towards the galley as fast as they could, lest their captain the black hole get there first (Sanae did her best to keep food for the others, but only the men could really rely on that). Roben, having only joined yesterday, looked a little surprised at the mad rush to the galley. He shrugged, slipping his bookmark in between the pages and getting up. After all, if the entire crew thought that it was worth hurrying, who was he to argue?

Sora was the last one in, as she had to put down her training equipment safely before she could move. She slipped past Sanae, who was all but wrestling with Luffi to keep her from rushing the table, dropping the cook an insult/greeting as she passed. Sanae responded in kind as Sora sat at the table, grabbing what food she could get from the rubber fingers reaching around Sanae.

Usoppa, Choppa and Namizo were all still shooting glances at the swordsman, which she didn’t seem to notice. Then Sanae decided that most of the crew had a firm enough grip on their food and let the captain go, and in the sudden scramble to actually keep a substantial meal no-one had much of a mind for gender at all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that’s six different Straw-Hats who know about Sora, counting Viv and Sora herself. Luffi and Sanae will be the next chapter – I just didn’t want to cram everything in.
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	19. “I’m A Swordsman. I’m Just A Female Swordsman.”

The day had been a hot one. Even as the sun slowly started to trek back down again, the heat hung in the air.

They’d only left Alabasta yesterday, although it felt like longer considering everything that had gone on between them. Sora wasn’t sure how far the summer island’s climate could stretch or if it was just the Grand Line playing with them, but either way the day was just _hot_. She’d slept through the worst hours of it (although she had woken up with a slight red tinge that would make Choppa scold her for non-sun-safe-actions if she saw) but she still was working up a disproportionate sweat as she trained.

Her pink shirt stuck to her skin as she tried to move, pausing for a moment to wipe the back of her hand across her forehead. She glared at the shirt in irritation, wishing she could take it off.

The thought rewound in her mind. Why _couldn’t_ she just train with the shirt off? She was modest – not by nature but by necessity – and in itself that was not a good enough reason. Now she had decided she no longer had to worry about hiding herself, she could get rid of that annoying habit.

Happily, she pulled the sticky pink shirt off herself, draping it neatly over the side of the ship. She didn’t think she’d be particularly heartbroken if it happened to fall off – she’d faced the uncomfortableness that was pink, and she was colour-co-ordinated enough to know pink and green clashed.

It was so much cooler without the shirt on. With renewed vigour, Sora threw herself back into the training, slashing her swords through the air.

 Up in the galley, Sanae slipped the tray of brownies she was making into the oven. Double-checking that the oven was at the correct temperature – not that she made mistakes like that in _years_ , but only an amateur wouldn’t check – she stepped back, glancing out the window.

She saw a flicker of pink fluttering in the breeze. She paused thoughtfully, trying to guess what it – oh, a shirt.

Sanae paused, and then moved closer towards the window, her eyes trailing to the familiar figure spinning three blades. It was hard to tell through the grimy window that she had been meaning to clean, but she thought she saw a glimpse of skin.

 _Crap_.

That dumbass swordsman just _had_ to go around shirtless, didn’t he? Picking a perfect time, as per usual, when Sanae was still trying to cement it into her head that no number of muscles would change the fact that he was, indeed, a total dumbass with moss where brain matter should be. Well, fine. No matter what her weakness for abs was, there was no chance she was going to take one step out of this galley. Namizo surely had a better figure anyway, and who cared for over-muscled hunks? Not her.

Sanae glanced nervously out the window again. A _quick_ peek wouldn’t do anything – no. No, she was not going to _ogle_ that idiot, no matter how tempting. If he noticed her… she shuddered at the thought. It made her cringe to remember how she’d initially reacted to him, and she had no intention of adding to that memory file.

She hesitated, reaching for the door handle and then slapping her hand away. Even if Zoro always seemed to wear baggy shirts that never showed off any of the muscles he was sure to have, even if this was the first opportunity she’d had since she’d joined the crew to check, it was still _marimo_. Her self-respect surely came higher than a six-pack.

Oh, she could really use a cigarette right now.

Sanae brightened as that idea occurred to her. There was nothing wrong with taking a cigarette break, and naturally she’d step outside to do so. If a certain green-haired swordsman just _happened_ to be shirtless outside at the same time, then that was just a coincidence. After all, she was just as entitled to use the ship as he was.

New plan in mind, Sanae happily stepped outside, pulling out a cigarette. She drew her match down her shoe, lighting it, and then took a deep breath from her cigarette. Then she glanced over to where Zoro was, making sure to try to keep her face casual.

For a moment, the sight didn’t quite comprehend. She stared blankly, as slowly confusion started to trickle in as it occurred to her that was _not_ the figure she had been expecting.

All at once, that confusion seemed to blossom into realisation. Sanae leaned out over the balcony. “Wait, you’re trans?” she asked in surprise.

“Huh?” Sora glanced around, lowering her sword slightly from her training. “No.”

“But… so then you’re non-binary or-?”

“A girl,” Sora interrupted, finishing off the sentence instead.

Sanae blinked at her. The cigarette dropped from her mouth.

“You’re a _girl_?!”

“Uh-huh.”

“A _cis_ girl?”

“Yeah. So?”

“But – but – but…” Sanae stuttered. “How – you – _what_?”

Sora raised an eyebrow, moving over from where she had been training. She sheathed her swords. “Yes, I’m a girl. Is that too complicated for you to understand, cook?”

Normally Sanae would have bit back with an insult, but she was too busy trying to understand the situation that had presented itself. She moved rapidly down the stairs; Sora waited for her down the bottom, her arms folded impatiently.

“Okay.” Sanae rubbed the side of her temples and stared at Sora blankly. “ _What?!_ ”

“Even for you, this is being dense. I’m. A. Girl. Understand?” Sora looked and sounded unimpressed, but if Sanae had been in the mood to analyse her actions she might have noticed the fact that the swordsman was having the conversation at all proved she had an idea how unexpected it was.

“No, actually, I _don’t_ , marimo!” Sanae snapped. She fumbled for her pocket, her cigarette having already fallen out of her mouth. “How could _you_ be a _girl_?”

“I hear that it’s something half the population are,” Sora mocked.

“And you’re a girl. Not trans or non-binary or anything – you’re a _girl_?” Sanae tried to clarify.

“Yes. Didn’t I already say that?”

Sanae finally managed to light her cigarette. She took a deep breath from it, trying to steady herself from the unexpected twist in how the world was. She might have stopped flirting with the marimo, but that didn’t mean she had even the faintest clue that her crewmate was a girl. “But… _why_?” she finally asked.

“What kind of an answer are you expecting, idiot cook?” Sora asked angrily. “I’m a girl because I _am_.”

“That’s not what I meant! What I meant was why’d you pretend – why – you _had_ to know we thought you were a guy!” Sanae snapped angrily. “Not even you could be thick enough to miss _that_.”

“Maybe I never hid it and _you_ were just the one being thick,” Sora challenged.

“Bull!” Sanae said hotly. “You’re going to try and say that you – there’s no way – as much as I can’t believe _you_ could successfully hide anything, there’s no way you _just happened_ to act like a boy to the point that _no-one_ noticed!”

“Are you sure about that?” Sora snapped.

“You’ve called yourself a guy!” Sanae shrieked. Her voice was getting dangerously shrill and Sora wondered absently if her ear-splitting scream had an option for words. She’d never yet heard her scream anything coherent, and she’d pissed her off pretty badly before, but the bonus shock might well have done it. “You said – Little Garden! When we were leaving! You actually said you’re a boy!”

“I did?” Sora remembered having fun with gendered voices, although she couldn’t remember the exact conversation. “So what?”

“So _why_?” Sanae burst out. “If you did it on purpose, then _why_?”

“I have my own reasons and they’re really _none of your business_ , curly-brow!” Sora snapped furiously.

“None of my – while I couldn’t care less what you decide to do most of the time, I think the fact one of my crewmates have been lying to me since we set sail at least deserves an explanation!” Sanae shouted back.

“Well, if you must know, then it’s a hell of a lot easier to do pretty much anything involving a sword if you don’t have to deal with every dumbass you meet claiming that girls can’t be swordsmen!” Sora snapped at her.

“What – how long has this even been going on for?” Sanae asked, distracted.

“Four years, give or take,” Sora grumbled. “What? I thought you’d heard more rumours about me than _I_ had, working at that restaurant. Don’t tell me any of them called me a girl.”

“I never listened to any of those,” Sanae said dismissively. It was a lie that neither wanted to call out; both knew that she’d heard about ‘Zoro’s’ reputation, whatever she’d chosen to believe about it. “But from what I _do_ remember, I’m pretty sure that none of them ever said that Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro -”

“Sora.”

“What?”

“My name’s Roronoa Sora, dumbass.”

Sanae blinked at her. For a moment she didn’t seem to have any reply, and then she took a deep breath. “ _Why did you not mention this?!_ ”

“Isn’t that what I’m doing right now?” Sora snapped at her.

Sanae was caught just as off balance by the brutal honesty as she had been by any of the previous clarifications. She opened her mouth to protest, but didn’t get a chance before Luffi bounced past.

“Mmm! Sanae, what’s that smell? It smells yummy.”

“Huh?” Sanae was distracted as she glanced towards the kitchen. “Brownies,” she said finally, remembering what she had been baking. Her subconscious timer that had started ticking when she put them in the oven told her that the brownies weren’t done yet, but they would be soon.

“Yumm-o! Can I have some?” Luffi asked eagerly, her eyes bright with anticipation.

“Those are for Namizo and Roben!”

“So can I have some?”

Sanae groaned. “Okay, fine, you can have some, but _after_ the gentlemen do, and they’re not – hey, wait!” Luffi had already started sprinting towards the galley eagerly, having heard no further than ‘you can have some’. Sanae swore under her breath and chased after her captain, reaching the kitchen in time to pull Luffi away from the oven.

Sora guessed that the conversation was over, and was just moving back to where her weights were set up when Luffi came flying overhead, courtesy of a well-placed kick to her stomach.

Luffi sat up and pouted in the general direction of the galley as Sane came out again. “Sanae’s mean,” the captain informed Sora sulkily.

“I guess,” Sora agreed absently, kneeling to pick up one of her dumbbells and started to curl upwards.

“Hmmph.” Luffi pouted for a moment longer, before getting up to find something else to do to take her mind off the delicious scent coming from the kitchen.

“One more question,” Sanae said from behind Sora as the swordsman kept training.

“Fine. What?” Sora grumbled without glancing at the cook.

“Do the others know?”

“About…?”

“About your zero sense of direction,” Sanae said snarkily. “About your _gender_ , dumbass.”

Sora rolled her eyes. “Yes, in fact.” She paused, reconsidering. “Well, Luffi hasn’t asked yet.”

“Okay.” Sanae hesitated for a moment. “One more, actually. The scar on your chest? Was that from Hawkeye?”

“Hmm?” Sora glanced down as her shirtless form, seeing the long scar that passed under her sports bra along most of her upper body. “Yeah. It was.”

There was another long moment as Sanae just stood there, still not entirely sure what was going on.

Finally, Sora glanced at her over her shoulder without stopping her weight lifting. “Look, cook, what difference does it make?”

Sanae’s mouth twitched slightly. “None whatsoever, marimo,” she said lightly, turning on her heel and walking back to the galley.

“Idiot love-cook,” Sora muttered under her breath at the retreating blonde.

“Useless swordsman!” Sanae called back as she reached the ship’s kitchen. “Hey – Luffi, get your hand out of the galley, _now_!”

The rubbery hand that was stretching from Namizo’s tangerine grove paused guiltily, but didn’t retract and continued probing the kitchen until the heel of Sanae’s shoe slammed down on the wrist. The now throbbing hand retreated. Sanae grumbled insults under her breath as she closed the door securely behind her before checking on the progress of the brownies.

**_ X _ **

By dinner time, Luffi still hadn’t noticed anything different about Sora. Of course, it was hardly surprising that she was more focused on the food than her crewmates, but the captain’s obliviousness was frustrating. If even the idiot curly-brow could notice, then surely she wasn’t being subtle about it.

Sora was pretty sure that Luffi wouldn’t notice on her own anytime this year. Even if she did, Sora wanted this over and done with. After the crew split up after dinner, Sora followed the captain to her perch on the _Merry’s_ figurehead.

“Hey, Luffi?” Sora leaned on the side of the deck.

Luffi lay down on the sheep’s head, grinning at Sora upside down. “What’s up, Zoro?”

“You know I’m a girl, right?”

“…No?”

“Well, I am.”

“Oh.” Luffi sat up, turning around to face her swordsman cross-legged. “You are?”

“Yeah.”

Luffi seemed to consider that for a moment, before a smile broke out across her face. “Okay, then. So you’re a swordswoman, then, right?”

Sora felt an answering smile twitch on her own face. “Actually, no. I’m a swordsman. I’m just a female swordsman.”

“And… a female swordsman _isn’t_ a swordswoman?” Luffi asked, sounding more confused by that than the realisation one of her crewmates was a different gender than expected.

“No,” Sora agreed, biting her lip in a rare show of the insecurity she’d been beating down for years. As it happened, the swordsman/swordswoman conversation had been the first indication Sora had ever gotten that the world of swordsmanship was rife with sexism.

_‘One day, I’m going to be the world’s greatest swordsman!’_

_‘You can’t be! Girls can’t be swordsmen!’_

_‘Then I’ll be the world’s greatest swordswoman, then?’_

_‘There’s no such thing as a swordswoman!’_

_‘Greatest sword… master?’_

_‘Look, Sora, you’re being stupid. Girls can’t fight. Girls aren’t good at swords, period.’_

_‘_ You’re _the one being stupid! I beat you, didn’t I?’_

_‘You got lucky!’_

_‘No way! I’m going to be the world’s greatest swordsman and I don’t care what you say!’_

_‘But you_ can’t _be a swordsman!’_

_‘Says who?! You watch: I’ll be the world’s greatest swordsman one day!’_

Luffi nodded, seeming to accept Sora’s answer. “Well, alright.” She grinned. “So it’s just like how I’m going to be King of the Pirates, not queen.”

“Exactly.”

Luffi beamed, and then looked thoughtful. “What made you decide to pretend to be a boy, though?”

“It was just simpler,” Sora answered. The explanation was becoming easier to give. “So many people thought that girls couldn’t be swordsmen that I just got sick of dealing with it every time I met someone new. So I cut my hair short and told everyone my name was Zoro.”

“Oh. Alright. So does that mean I have to call you Kaida now?”

“If you want to, but Zoro’s fine – wait, _what_? Why Kaida?”

“You look like a Kaida.”

“It’s _Sora_. Roronoa Sora.”

“Oh. Okay,” Luffi agreed happily. “But you’re still the same whether you’re Kaida or Zoro, right?”

“Where are you getting Kaida from?” Sora asked, frustrated. Still, her irritation at her captain was quickly being overridden by the pleasure that Luffi didn’t seem to care. Everyone had cared more about the fact she’d been lying than that she was a girl, and it gave Sora a warm feeling inside, whether or not she’d admit it.

“Oh, right. But Zoro and Sora are pretty much the same, right?”

“More or less,” Sora agreed, her lips twitching in an involuntary smile.

“Cool.” Luffi lay back down on the figurehead, her hands pushed under her head as a comfortable pillow.

Sora grinned, sliding down the side of the railing. The ‘official’ bed time wasn’t for another two hours, but she was tired now. Feeling more comfortable than she had in months, she rested her head against the railing and drifted into sleep.


	20. “Chickens Can’t Even Fly. It Should Have Been A Pigeon.”

**Chapter Twenty: “Chickens can’t even fly. It should have been a pigeon.”**

Roronoa Sora turned out to be very similar to Roronoa Zoro, much to the relief of the crew.

She was still somewhat intimidating when she wanted to be, with a deadly glare designed to terrify the worst bandits of the East Blue. She would still keep up her insane training regime, lifting weights that by all rights should have crushed any normal person. She was still just as lazy, somehow managing to sleep through one of the Grand Line’s typical instant-hurricanes (during which she did not respond to any of the names shouted at her, including ‘Sora’, ‘Zoro’, ‘dumbass’ and ‘marimo’). She still had no sense of direction, almost prompting a search party when they’d docked at an island to restock on supplies.

There were slight differences between Zoro and Sora, but really, the change between the two hadn’t been instantaneous. Everyone had an exact moment when they _realised_ there was a difference, but the change in itself had been a long process.

Looking back, Zoro had been more defensive, more private. Sora was more relaxed, but that might well have been related to her knowing the crew now. Although Sora was more willing to take off her shirt in hot weather than Zoro had ever been, she’d first begun to give up the binders on Drum Island. Her voice had been more commonly switching to something that was now recognisable as female since before they reached Alabasta; occasionally she spoke in the fake-male voice out of habit, barely realising what she had done.

But as a whole, it didn’t seem that different. Sora still argued with Sanae and grumbled about Namizo just as much as Zoro did. She was just as loyal to her captain as Zoro had been, and still cared about her nakama in the same way.

And when a ship dropped down from the sky, almost sinking their little _Going Merry,_ Sora had been just as dependable in dragging their caravel safely out of the way.

Eventually, the falling wreckage and the subsequent waves had faded, leaving the Straw Hats safe. The _Merry_ had taken on a fair amount of damage, but nothing Usoppa couldn’t fix with a little time, and the injuries themselves were mostly superficial cuts and bruises.

Sanae sighed with regret as the multiple hands sprouting from the wall disappeared. She’d screamed for help when the _Merry_ had started to rock so violently, and Roben had obliged by pinning her to the wall. The rescue had made the cook swoon, although she’d stayed conscious enough to keep track of what was going on. Now that Roben’s hands vanished, though, the blonde stepped away from the wall lightly, her balance perfect.

“So _why_ did a ship fall out of the sky?” Luffi asked, staring up at the clouds.

“Who knows?” Sanae asked, lighting a much-needed cigarette.

“There’s nothing in the sky,” Sora observed. “Where could it have come from?”

Usoppa and Choppa were clutching each other and shaking. “The Grand Line is a bad, bad place surrounded by _death_ ,” Usoppa whined, hugging the reindeer close.

A high pitched scream echoed across the deck. All eyes turned to Namizo, who was staring at the log-pose in abject horror.

“Something else happen?” Sora asked.

“Namizo, my sweet, what troubles you?” Sanae crooned.

“The Log Pose! It’s broken!” Namizo showed the Grand Line compass on his wrist as proof. “Look, it’s just pointing to the sky!”

“It’s not broken,” Roben assured him, frowning thoughtfully. “On the Grand Line, you have to trust the Log Pose at all costs. This is one of the most steadfast and unbreakable rules.”

“Then what could have happened to it?” Namizo asked incredulously.

“It’s located an island in the sky,” Roben said simply, although his eyes flickered with amazement.

“An island in the sky?!” The cry rang out over the ship.

“Are you serious?” Namizo asked blankly.

Luffi’s face broke into a giant grin and her eyes started to twinkle. “There’s a _floating island_?!” she said, almost giggling in delight. “That is _so_ cool!”

“It’s obviously full of death, then!” Usoppa said sharply, pointing at one of the skeletons that had landed on board as she hugged Choppa with the other arm.

“I can’t see anything but sky,” Sora pointed out.

“I’d say that it’s not just an island above us, but an entire ocean,” Roben elaborated.

Usoppa and Choppa stopped shaking, amazed and delighted. “ _Seriously_?” Choppa squeaked.

“I’m still confused,” Sanae said, pulling the cigarette out of her mouth to blow smoke.

Luffi punched the air in delight. “Raise the sails! Set a course for Sky Island!”

“Skyward-ho!” Usoppa agreed.

“How?” Namizo demanded. “We can’t fly, remember?”

Luffi and Usoppa turned to him, pure disappointment and horror in their gaze. Namizo refused to feel guilty for their kicked-puppy expressions; it wasn’t _his_ fault they forgot how ships worked.

“Perhaps we can find clues as to how the other ship reached the sky,” Roben mused, walking over to the fullest skeleton that had landed on the _Merry_. Without any hesitation he knelt beside it, carefully running his hands over the shattered skull. Several hands sprouted on the ground next to it, picking up the pieces of the cranium.

“You really think you can find something like that?” Namizo asked, interested as Roben started to piece together the skull.

“We won’t know until we try.”

Sora glanced around, noticing their missing captain. “Hey, where’d Luffi go?”

“Exploring, they said,” Choppa pointed one hoof carefully at the other ship, where Luffi and Usoppa were leaping from deck to broken deck.

“Done,” Roben announced. All eyes turned back to him. “There are still holes on the crown, which I believe were there in life.”

“You mean that was the cause of death? Arrows or something like them?” Sanae asked, crouching next to him.

“No, I don’t think so.” Roben ghosted a finger over the neat circular holes. “I think it’s from _craterisation_ , a medical procedure in ancient times used to constrain a brain tumour. It hasn’t been used for at least two hundred years, so we have at least an estimate of how long ago this may have been.”

“That’s amazing, Roben!” Namizo said, his eyes wide.

“Thank you.” Roben smiled and accepted the compliment graciously. “But this does not help us discover how they reached the sky. We may have to study the ship.”

“That could be a problem,” Sora said, jerking a thumb over her shoulder at where Usoppa was frantically trying to haul Luffi up from the water. “It’s sinking.”

They waited patiently for a few minutes for Usoppa to drag Luffi onto the _Merry_. Eventually Sanae took pity and leaned over the deck, providing extra support to drag them up. Usoppa collapsed in exhaustion the moment they were there, but Luffi only beamed, excited. “Guess what I found!”

“What did you find?” Choppa asked, interested.

“It’s so cool!” Luffi babbled, reaching into her vest and pulling out a map. The word _Skypeia_ was titled over the top in big letters. “It’s a map of Sky Island!”

Namizo curiously took the map. It had survived the plunge into the water rather well, not to mention the years since it was made. “Skypeia, huh?”

“See? See? It’s gotta be real! We’ve gotta go there!”

 “That doesn’t mean we know how to get there,” Namizo pointed out. “Plus, there are plenty of fake maps in the world-”

 Luffi gave him the most horrified, heartbroken expression Namizo had ever seen in his life, including over a hundred pirates who had watched him sail off with all their treasure.

“Okay, okay, I’m sure it’s real,” Namizo hurriedly assured her. “But we don’t know how to get there.”

“You’re the navigator! Navigate!” Luffi said heatedly.

“I can’t fly a ship into the sky! We need more information! Like Roben said, we’ll have to look through the stuff on that other ship. Our only option is to go down there and have a look.”

There was a general murmur of agreement. Namizo grinned and turned to face the ship’s sniper and unofficial handywoman. “Usoppa! Can you make some kind of diving suits?”

“Uh, I guess, sure. But, uh, who’s going to go down?” Usoppa asked nervously, hoping very much that it wouldn’t be her.

“I will! I will! I will!” Luffi bounced up and down.

“You can’t swim,” Sora reminded her.

“Yeah, but that won’t matter if Usoppa makes a diving suit, right?”

“I’m sure I can make one that won’t get you wet,” Usoppa agreed hurriedly, ready to build anything that would let her stay safely on the deck of the ship.

“We’ll probably need someone else…” Namizo said.

“If it would make my sweet Namizo happy, I would go to the ends of the Earth!” Sanae proclaimed with hearts in her eyes. “The bottom of the ocean is no trouble at all!”

“Excellent. I think three would be the best number,” Namizo continued. He glanced at Sora. “Hey, Zoro – uh, sorry, Sora. Will you go?”

“Huh? Sure.” Sora shrugged. “Better than waiting up here.”

Usoppa beamed. “I’ll get right on it!” she said cheerfully, incredibly relieved that she wasn’t being asked to go.

Still excited about the prospect of going to an island in the sky, Usoppa started to whistle as she picked out what tools she would need for this task.

**_ X _ **

“Is there a pirate wearing a straw hat here?”

All heads in the pub turned to look at the blond man standing by the door, a wicked smile on his face. At the bar, Namizo, Sora, and Luffi looked around curiously, wondering why the other patrons seemed so terrified, the word ‘Bellamy’ tossed throughout the room.

“That’s me,” Luffi said finally, swivelling around on her chair. “Who are you?”

“So you’re the pirate worth twenty-five million, huh?” Bellamy asked disbelievingly, walking through the door and approaching Luffi.

“Yeah, that’s me. What’s this about?” Luffi asked blankly.

“Looks like he’s got business with you, Luffi,” Sora said, taking a gulp of her drink.

“Isn’t Bellamy the name of the guy who booked out the hotel?” Namizo asked.

Bellamy stopped next to Luffi. He looked down on the sitting girl, his wicked and slightly unhinged smile never faltering.

“How come this entire town is so tall?” Luffi asked, tilting her head to the side.

Bellamy turned to the barkeep. “I’ll take a glass of your most expensive alcohol,” he ordered. “And give that kid whatever she wants,” he added with a smirk, sitting down confidently at the bar stool next to Luffi.

Namizo glanced around nervously as more people filed in, all wearing the same mark as Bellamy. Sora fingered Wadou’s hilt. Most of the other patrons in the bar fled, with the few remainders whispering warnings to each other.

The barkeep handed down two drinks, one for Bellamy and one for Luffi. Bellamy gave the Straw Hat pirate a slightly larger smile. “Drink up.”

“Uh, cool, thanks.” Luffi picked up the glass experimentally, and glanced at Bellamy with a grin. “You’re a pretty nice guy, huh?” She put the mug to her mouth and began to drink deeply.

Bellamy raised his huge hand behind her head. Before either Namizo or Sora had a chance to shout a warning, he slammed Luffi’s head into the bar, shattering wood.

Luffi collapsed to the ground, her forehead having gone straight through the counter.

Before the wood had finished splintering Sora had Wadou Ichimonji placed against Bellamy’s throat. “If you’re looking for a fight, all you had to do was ask,” she growled.

Bellamy looked amused, glancing at the blade against his neck. He burst into hyena-like laughter. “What are you planning on doing with that, girlie?”

Sora’s eyes darkened. It was only Namizo’s tight grip on her shoulder that kept the sword from tasting blood. “Zoro – Sora – whatever! Don’t do it! We still need information, remember!”

Sora may well have stabbed the blond man anyway, but Luffi was already getting to her feet, brushing the splinters out of her trademark hat.

“So you got back up, hmm?” Bellamy mocked.

Luffi put the hat back on and growled. “Are you going to fight me or not?”

The pub, along with Bellamy, exploded into laughter. “You’ve got it all wrong, girlie,” Bellamy taunted. “This isn’t a fight; it’s a test!”

“A test?” Luffi repeated, her fists still raised. “Why?”

“To see if you actually deserved that bounty or not! Now come on, give it your best shot.”

“Luffi, Sora, don’t!” Namizo shouted as both female Straw Hats tensed for a fight. She spun around to face the barkeeper. “We’re looking for information on Sky Island and how to get there!”

The silence that proceeded that announcement wasn’t the same horrified and anticipatory quiet that had followed the fight challenge. Rather, this one was amused, a precursor to the laughter that started to ring throughout the pub.

“An island in the sky?” Bellamy’s follower Sarquiss hooted. “Oh man, you weaklings actually believe in that fairy tale?”

“What?” Namizo asked blankly. Violently he gestured to the Log Pose around his wrist. “Look, the needle’s pointing upwards! It’s locked onto the magnetic field of an island in the sky!”

The gales of laughter only increased.

“Oh, it’s pointing to the sky, there must be an island there!”

“Who trusts Log Poses anymore? Those things break if you breathe wrong!”

“He actually thinks it’s possible!”

Bellamy howled with laughter, supporting himself against the ruined bar. “I can’t believe you idiots would actually put any faith in that old legend! Sailors used to theorise there were islands up there because ships sometimes fell from the sky, but that’s been proven wrong a thousand times over. All that means is that there’s the ‘Knock-Up Stream’, which is a current that hurtles into the air around these parts. It throws ships into the sky, and then they come crashing down later. Stupid people from the old eras came up with that theory, but I didn’t think anyone still believed it!”

Luffi had dropped her arms, but her fists only tightened as he kept laughing. Sora’s hands curled around her swords. Namizo was starting to look humiliated, which in turn was changing into fury.

“I was thinking of letting you join my crew, you know,” Bellamy confided to Luffi. “But if you’re so delusional, there’s not a chance. The age of pirate dreams is almost over! The City of Gold, the Emerald Ruins, even the One Piece – none of them can compare to the real treasures that lie in the real world!”

Luffi didn’t flinch as Bellamy unexpectedly hit her, slamming his fist heavily into the side of her head. The rubberwoman was thrown backwards, falling to the ground.

“Luffi!” Namizo cried.

Sora looked at her captain, lying still on the ground. Then she looked up, meeting Bellamy’s eyes as she very deliberately reached for her swords.

“Forget what I said about not fighting,” Namizo said sharply, his eyes blazing with anger. “Luffi, Zoro, tear these losers to shreds!”

“I was planning on it.” Sora half drew Wadou and Kietsu from their sheaths, her eyes narrowing as she surveyed Bellamy.

Bellamy only howled louder. “You really think I’m scared of a little girl carrying around daddy’s sword?!” he demanded, laughing.

Sora’s entire body seemed to freeze as her face curled into an ugly expression. Namizo gave her a nervous look, but no-one else seemed prepared to take her seriously.

“I bet you can’t even hold those swords,” Bellamy laughed. “What, didn’t you know that _real_ swordsmen just use the one? Wherever you got those sharp little toys of yours from, you should probably know that you would have looked more realistic if you hadn’t gotten three. Girls aren’t swordsmen, so why don’t you stop playing at it?”

Sora’s entire body seemed to shudder under the hot rage that was welling in her chest. Some detached part of her remembered that, oh yeah, this was exactly why she had started acting like a boy to begin with. Somehow it hadn’t quite registered that losing the binder would mean dealing with this again.

The unbridled fury seemed to adjust itself, turning into action. She’d already pulled Wadou out, moving it towards her mouth with the intention of proving just how well a _real_ swordsman could use three swords, when Luffi’s voice rang out across the din.

“Whatever happens, don’t fight them.”

Sora froze, the sword half-hanging in her hand as she turned to look at Luffi. Her captain was still sitting on the ground where she had been thrown, watching the swordsman with her jaw set.

She didn’t understand, did she? Luffi had no idea what she was asking, how deep those familiar words cut her, of how many times she’d heard that phrase before.

_Girls can’t be swordsmen._

The rage renewed itself. Sora adjusted Wadou in her grip, moving it back up to her mouth when the expression on Luffi’s face registered.

Sora lowered the sword slightly, turning to look at her captain again.

There was something in her eyes that made Sora realise that Luffi did know exactly what she had said. Luffi knew the full import of what Bellamy’s insult had meant to Sora, and somehow she fully understood how much that had hurt her. And by the determined set of the captain’s jaw, Luffi was standing firm by the order she had given.

“Sora. Do not fight them.”

Every instinct told Sora to rip Bellamy to shreds for what he had said. But captain’s orders were…

It took every scrap of loyalty Sora possessed for her to sheathe the sword. Her hand was shaking with the effort as she let the handle go again and dropped her arm.

If she had thought that Luffi didn’t know what she was asking, she would never have obeyed. But somehow, Luffi had remembered the casual explanation that Sora had dealt with people telling her she couldn’t be a swordsman. Luffi _knew_. She had her own reasons for holding back the fight, and Sora would trust them.

The actual beating they received wasn’t so bad. In all honesty, casual spats with Sanae sometimes left her with worse bruises than the punches she took. Those of them throwing glasses had terrible aim – the shattered glass rarely ever grazed her, although a couple of times she received splashback from the alcohol inside.

The taunts about being a pathetic excuse for a pirate with no pride stung a little more than the blows, but Sora ignored them resolutely. After all, the only insult that could get under her skin was about her skill, not about her dignity.

Bellamy didn’t insult her swordsmanship again directly. He mentioned a few times that she clearly wasn’t a very good fighter, but that was in reference to her not fighting back instead of her gender. The older pirate might well have noticed the disgusted looks he had received from members of his own crew, male and female alike. Sora was glad he didn’t repeat those insults, but she still would have simply taken them unless Luffi had said otherwise.

“What are you two doing?” Namizo asked in shock, stepping backwards away from his crewmates. “Come on. Wipe the floor with these guys.”

He backed into one of Bellamy’s men. Namizo cautiously looked around, seeing that the man was roughly twice his size.

The enemy pirate smirked, pounding a fist into his hand. “Instead of telling these two girls to do it, how about _you_ fight instead?”

Namizo snarled, but his bravery was cut off when the pirate punched his stomach, sending him sprawling on the ground.

The navigator sat up woozily. His eyes widened with horror and he started to scramble backwards as he saw the large man pick up a shattered glass, about to crack it down directly on his head.

Luffi’s hand curled around the man’s wrist. Somehow the pirate captain had stepped in front of him, holding her hand up against his hand to stop the blow. Her arm was loose, like she was putting no strength into it, but the pirate’s arm was frozen by her grip.

Without looking at the man she was holding, Luffi glanced at Namizo. “Come on. Let’s go.” She threw the man’s hand aside and helped Namizo up, walking silently from the bar.

Sora walked after them, slipping into place next to Luffi as they exited. Jeers and laughter followed them, but no-one moved to stop them.

They had been walking for a full minute, with neither Luffi nor Sora moving to brush the blood off, when a casual voice caught their attention. “Sky Island does exist, you know.”

“Huh?” Namizo turned to look at the man. It was the same man Luffi had met before Bellamy turned up, the one who she’d almost gotten into a fight with until Sora and Namizo pulled her back. “But everyone else said that it didn’t.”

“Bah. Who are they to decide what’s real and what isn’t?” the man challenged. “They say that the era of dreams is over. Well, guess what?” The man spread his arms and laughed. “Dreams don’t ever die! The age of pirate dreams is going to last for as long as there are pirates!”

“Well, thank you for your advice,” Namizo said dully. “Come on, Luffi, Zoro – dammit, Sora.”

Sora didn’t protest to the navigator’s order, following him. Luffi gave one last final glance at the man eating his cherry pies, before hurrying after her crewmates.

Namizo rubbed his stomach where the punch had hit him. He’d escaped the most of the beating, since Luffi had known he wouldn’t be able to handle as much and had intervened on his behalf. Still, Namizo looked indignant as he turned around to watch Sora and Luffi. “Why didn’t you fight back?!” he demanded.

Sora’s eyes flashed dangerously as she glared at him, warning the navigator to let it go. “Captain’s orders,” she answered, speaking for the first time since Luffi had given the orders in question.

Namizo didn’t talk again until they reached the _Merry_.

Usoppa, Choppa and Sanae were repairing the ship from the damage it had sustained during the falling-wreckage incident. Usoppa swore as her hammer hit into her finger. “I know I say this a lot, but I’m not a shipwright.”

“But you’re so good at this stuff!” Choppa pointed out.

Usoppa grinned at the reindeer. “I know, right? That’s what’s so amazing about me.”

“I still think we oughta scrap this old hunker,” Sanae said absently, fitting a board onto the deck railing. “Next time we get a little gold we should get a new one.”

“Are you insane?!” Usoppa snapped, jumping to her feet to glare at the unintimidated cook. “We can’t trash this ship, this is _Kaya’s_ ship, do you know what this ship means?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard the story before a hundred times,” Sanae said dismissively, waving a hand airily. The story in question changed somewhat with each retelling and Sanae highly suspected that Usoppa exaggerated her own part in it (surely she hadn’t held off the entire super-powered crew of the Black Cat pirates herself while there were three other Straw Hats on the island), but certain aspects of the story never changed. “The most gorgeous girl at your village gave it to us, right?”

“Yes!” Usoppa snapped, stamping her foot on the ground. “And so it’s very important that we take good care of the _Merry_.”

“It’s still dangerous to rely on a ship in her condition-”

“That’s why I’m repairing it!” Usoppa snapped. “Give us a hand, would you, Sanae?”

Sanae rolled her eyes and was about to protest, when instead a smile broke out over her face as she looked at the harbour. “Namizo! You’re back!”

Usoppa turned around and yelped. “Luffi and Zoro are all beaten up!”

“Aaah! Call a doctor!”

The three Straw Hats in question reached the ship and calmly climbed on board, with those who had stayed behind following after and shooting questions that were ignored.

Choppa nearly wrestled Sora into sitting on stairs to the balcony, before beginning to bandage up the wounds that Sora dully insisted were nothing to worry about. Luffi silently leaned against the wall to the cargo room, her expression uncharacteristically unreadable.

“What happened? Who did you fight?” Usoppa asked nervously, playing with her long black braid. “You did win the battle, at least, right? No-one’s going to be coming after us in the middle of the night – you definitely won, right?”

“No, they _didn’t_ win, because they didn’t even fight back!” Namizo snapped furiously, glaring at Sora and Luffi. “How can you call yourselves pirates if you allow anyone to walk all over you like that?!”

Sora jerked a thumb over her shoulder as Choppa climbed off her to start patching up Luffi. “The pub’s that way; I don’t think they’d have left yet. You should still be able to fight them if you want.”

“Okay, first of all, the pub is _that_ way.” Namizo pointed in what was almost the exact opposite direction of where Sora had been pointing, and the swordsman tried not to flush when she realised she had been pointing at the ocean. “And secondly, we’re _pirates_! They were asking for a fight, so we should have given them one! We should have blown that entire town to pieces! We should have done anything instead of standing there and _taking_ it!”

“I know more about fighting than you ever will, so why don’t you just shut up!” Sora snapped at her.

“Don’t talk like that to Namizo!” Sanae ordered her.

“You can shut up too, dumbass love-cook!”

Sanae opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the arrival of Roben onto the ship, carrying several shopping bags aboard. “Oh, Roben! Did you have a good trip? Would you like something to eat? What would you like?”

Sora snorted in disgust.

Roben smiled sweetly at the cook, putting her bag down and rummaging through it. “I’ll have some coffee if you’ve already made some, Miss Cook, but please don’t go to any trouble on my account.”

“It’s no trouble at all!” Sanae swooned, already manoeuvring around Sora to go up the stairs to the galley. “It’ll be ready in a few minutes!”

“Where did you go, Roben?” Luffi asked curiously.

“Well, I went shopping for clothes and I found out some information about Skypeia.”

“That’s right!” Namizo shouted. “You’re the one who brought it up, didn’t you?! You made me look like an idiot!”

Choppa whimpered and grabbed one of her rumble-balls from the pocket of her dress. “Jumping point!” She leapt into the air, going overboard with a _splash_.

It only took a moment before Sora had leaped in after her, Namizo’s ranting still hanging in the air behind her.

“If this place turns out not to exist I can guarantee you I will throw you overboard with rocks in your pockets!” Namizo continued.

Roben considered mentioning he would sink like a stone even without rocks in his pockets, but decided that it would only anger Namizo more.

“I think you should keep your distance from him,” Usoppa warned quietly, glancing nervously at the fuming man next to her. “Just… don’t rock the boat, you know what I mean?”

“I see,” Roben said thoughtfully, holding a map out to Luffi. “Here, captain. I thought this might interest you.”

“Huh? It’s just a map.” Luffi turned it upside down as if hoping that would reveal secrets. “Does the ‘x’ mark treasure?”

“No, it’s simply a map of the island. I heard talk of a man named Montblanc Cricket, a man who lives where the ‘x’ is marked because his belief in dreams had kept him ostracized from Mock Town,” Roben explained. “Perhaps he might shed some light on this situation?”

“Then I guess we’d better talk to him, then,” Luffi agreed easily, righting the map again.

Usoppa glanced over to where Sora and Choppa were sitting, soaking wet. Sora had taken off her shirt and was wringing it out, showing a tan-coloured bra underneath.

Seeing her mostly shirtless was still surprising, although Sora had recently been seen training in nothing more than a sports bra or crop top. After all, it had only been a few days since they’d found out that ‘Zoro’ was ‘Sora’, and while Luffi never once seemed to mix up the names everyone else had more difficulty adjusting. However, the thing that caught Usoppa’s attention was the ugly scar going across most of her upper body. Once the swordsman had stopped reacting to the injury, Usoppa had almost forgotten about the fight with Hawkeye, but the diagonal line must serve as a constant reminder to Sora.

Usoppa shook her head. “Why are you two soaking wet?”

“I thought I was dead!” Choppa gasped, taking huge gulps of air gratefully.

“You’re a pain,” Sora told her, shaking water droplets out of her ear-length green hair.

“But Namizo was being scary!”

“Doesn’t change the fact you can’t swim.”

“What did you say about me?” Namizo demanded.

“Nothing!” Choppa squeaked.

“So, Mountblanc Cricket, huh?” Luffi said thoughtfully, rolling up the map and glancing at Usoppa standing next to her. “Reckon he’ll help us get to Sky Island?”

Usoppa shrugged and grinned. “There’s only one way to find out, right?”

**_ X _ **

As it turned out, Mountblanc Cricket had been more than willing to help them – at least after they got through the almost obligatory fight when he found pirates poking around his home.

Cricket was something of a scientist, whatever his reputation as a dreamer was. He’d explained about the Knock-Up Stream, which was most likely their only chance of reaching the sky. Since the Knock-Up Stream was due south and compasses didn’t work in the Grand Line, the only way of finding it was to track down a bird with excellent directional instincts, leaving the Straw Hats to trawl through the forest. While they worked on that, Cricket and his friends (the Saruyama Alliance) had generously offered to help patch up the _Merry_ to make it possible to survive flight.

The Straw Hats had made plenty of friends before. It didn’t change the fact that they, their captain especially, treasured every one of them. So when the pirates returned from the forest, South Bird in tow, they were not pleased to discover the Saruyama Alliance to have been robbed and beaten bloody, Bellamy’s mark painted onto the wall.

Sora kinda wished she’d gone with Luffi. She knew perfectly well that Straw Hat Luffi would be merciless in defending the Saruyama, but it would have been nice to have an opportunity to prove exactly how a female swordsman could fight. She would have settled for just watching Luffi destroy him. Still, she knew what was going on, and that in itself was enough.

There was one problem, which Sora in herself didn’t care about but was making Namizo rant. Luffi had promised to take no more than three hours; it had been three hours and forty minutes since she sprinted for Mock Town.

 “I don’t believe she’d – no, scratch that, I _can_ believe she’d be that stupid.” Namizo was pacing up and down. “I bet when she ran off to collect the gold, it didn’t even occur to her that it would weigh her down on the way back! Plus, she never considers that energy isn’t limitless, and even _she_ gets tired when the fight’s over, especially if she has to run straight after it!”

Sanae was standing next to him, hearts in her eyes as she mouthed something, trying to gesture to elaborate. Despite her best efforts, she was completely incomprehensible and the navigator ignored her.

Whatever the blonde wanted to say, it was probably a reassurance mixed with a swoon. However, much to the vindictive pleasure of the rest of the crew, Sanae’s love-cook tendencies were hampered by the fact her voice had disappeared.

During the hunt for a South Bird, Sanae had been one of the first to realise the forest had been absolutely crawling with spiders and insects, all with the odd compulsion to attack the Straw Hats. Sanae’s screams had drowned out the South Bird’s cry and grated on all ears from the entirety of the forest, leading to petty glee from everyone else when her voice finally gave out. Choppa had given her lozenges, but the only thing to do was wait for her throat to recover.

“Hey, you guys!” Luffi’s gleeful voice rang out over Namizo’s snarling. All eyes moved to the approaching girl, a clinking bag draped over her shoulders. “I did it!”

Namizo sighed in relief. “You got the gold back, then?”

“No. Well, yeah, I did, but that wasn’t what I was talking about,” Luffi said cheerfully, not noticing the navigator’s frown. She reached the others and dropped the sack over her shoulders onto the ground, the gold clinking. Giggling, Luffi dug into her shirt and finally brought out a large beetle. “It’s an Atlas! I caught a Hercules yesterday, so I have an Atlas _and_ a Hercules! It took me forever to find it!” She waved the beetle enthusiastically, not noticing the furious glares from most of her crew.

Sanae scrambled backwards instantly, shaking her head violently. She started to wave her hands rapidly, mouthing ‘keep it away’.

Luffi looked at her blankly, letting her arm drop. “You still can’t talk?”

Sanae shook her head nervously, her eyes still focused on the beetle.

“You’re late because you were searching for a bug?!” Usoppa shouted.

Luffi completely ignored her, stepping over the bag of gold. Her eyes lit up as she stared at the ship. “That looks _awesome_!”

Rage disappearing instantly, Usoppa beamed. “I know, right? They built it for us; I helped design it.” She gestured eagerly to the _Merry_ , pointing out the wings attached to the sides and the chicken-head figurehead. “I present to you, _the Going Merry: flying edition_!”

“That’s amazing, Usoppa!” Luffi clapped her hands in delight. “Can we really reach the sky in that thing?”

“Hopefully,” Namizo said eyeing the chicken- _Merry_. “It makes me uneasy just to look.”

“Mm-hmm. For once I agree with you,” Sora said, folding her arms as she looked at the ship. “Chickens can’t even fly. It should have been a pigeon.”

“You know, that wasn’t actually my concern!”

“It’s time to set sail!” Usoppa called.

The Saruyama Alliance and their crew, standing behind her, cheered.

Luffi reached behind her for the gold, left in the bag several meters away. She easily stretched to catch it, walking up to where Cricket was sitting. “Here, old guy.” Luffi grinned. “Thanks for the ship.”

Cricket looked at the bag for a moment, taking a deep breath of his cigarette. “You should be thanking them. They built it.” He pointed over his shoulder at the two crews belonging to the Saruyama Alliance.

Luffi nodded, walking to the side and waving at the crews. “Hey, thanks for the ship you guys! Tell you what, you can have my Atlas!”

There was almost a surprising amount of gratitude in response.

“Hey, you guys! You’d better hurry up, there’s not much time!” Masira shouted.

“Right!” Luffi cheerfully jogged to where the rest of her crew was waiting, and the Straw Hats boarded their new chicken- _Merry_.

The South Bird was already there, chained to the railing. Choppa had made certain that the chains weren’t too tight, and it was only being kept still. The Saruyama Alliance checked which way it was facing before sailing off with them, apparently playing companions until the Knock Up Stream.

 Just as they were drifting out to sea, Luffi leant over the side of the ship. “Did you say something, pops?”

“There’s only one thing you’ve gotta remember,” Cricket called to her, standing at the edge of the shore. His voice was clear despite the distance between them. “No-one has ever, in complete certainty, _dis_ proved the existence of Sky Island!” He grinned. “People can call us crazy, but romantics like us don’t care!”

“Romantic,” Luffi repeated, grinning. She decided she liked that description.

Cricket watched them go with a smile. “Thanks for the gold. And don’t be falling from the sky now, y’hear?”

At the reminder that was a possibility Usoppa started shaking, but for her it wasn’t significant panic. Safe on the sea, the prospect of Sky Island sounded more exciting than terrifying, filling her with the promise of adventure that had led to her leaving Syrup Village to begin with. Instead, the sniper waved at Cricket with the rest of the crew. “Hey, think of us when you find the city of gold, old-timer!”

Goodbyes said, the Straw Hats eagerly sailed off, the South Bird reluctantly pointing the way due south.

After a few hours, Namizo announced that the clouds had darkened and the cumuloregalis cloud was just south-west. “We must be getting close.”

Shojo of the Saruyama Alliance sent divers into the water. Choppa and Luffi watched the black wet suits as they dove deep, until the Grand Line’s waters obscured them from view. Then, after a few minutes, they surfaced, announcing which way to find the currents needed.

The waves grew to potentially dangerous levels as the Straw Hats followed the direction indicated. At some point, and with varying levels of subtlety, everyone glanced to see Namizo’s reaction; the navigator’s response to weather patterns was usually a good indication of how dangerous the situation was. In this case, he looked apprehensive, but not panicked. To the crew, that suggested they were reasonably safe for the time being, although the conditions may worsen.

As it happened, the water currents did grow more dangerous. In fact, Namizo was far from the only one staring in horror as they realised the Knock Up Stream was marked by what Usoppa shrilly termed as ‘a giant whirlpool terror-vortex of doom’.

“I didn’t sign up for this!” Namizo screamed, trying desperately to keep his balance.

“I’m not afraid because I know you’ll protect me, Namizo!” Sanae said, the swoon overlayed by a slight crack in her voice that may not have been residual hoarseness.

“I’ve never seen a whirlpool that big,” Roben commented, clinging to the railing to hold himself steady.

“I changed my mind! I wanna go back I wanna go back!” Usoppa shrieked, unsure if she wanted to go back to Jaya or Syrup Village as long as she wasn’t here.

“Sorry, Usoppa!” Sora called, trying to adjust her weight to match with the violent rolling of the ship. “Too late for that. You-know-who is already excited.”

“Yeah!” Luffi shrieked in delight, punching the air. She was being just as tossed by the waves as anyone on her crew, but that didn’t stop her from celebrating. “Sky Island! Wha-hoo!”

The appearance of a Sea King at least distracted everyone from the prospect of the whirlpool. The Straw Hats stared in horror, watching as the beast large enough to swallow the _Merry_ was sucked into the vortex.

“C-can we p-please g-go n-n-now?” Usoppa stuttered, looking at the unusually still captain.

“We’re gonna die if we go in; we have to turn back!” Namizo agreed desperately.

“But we can’t,” Luffi said softly.

“Why not?” Usoppa demanded.

The Saruyama Alliance was backing up, escaping the pull of the whirlpool. They weren’t leaving yet, waiting to see if the Straw Hats reached the sky.

Luffi turned around to face the crew. Her face was stretched into a giant grin; her eyes had turned bright with the promise of adventure. “Because it could be our greatest adventure ever!”

Namizo and Usoppa gave up at the same time. It only took one look at her expression to know there was no chance of changing her mind.

Sora leant over the railing to check on their progress. “We’re being sucked in,” she announced, moving back onto the deck. “We’ll have to try and see what kind of control we can get if we want to make it to the centre.”

The last part was directed to Namizo, since the navigator was the only one who could tell. But then they started to drop, and it became apparent the ship would have no chance of gaining any control.

And then abruptly, the sea quietened, becoming deadly still in a way the Grand Line never was.

“What – what just happened?” Sanae asked cautiously.

“What’s going on?” Luffi asked blankly.

“I don’t get it,” Usoppa said. “That whirlpool was huge. Where’d it go?”

Namizo was silent, his face paling somewhat. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse. “It’s not over. The whirlpool – it’s still there, it just sunk underwater. It’s coming. Everyone, get ready.”

“Hold it right there!” someone shouted from over the water.

“Huh?”

Another ship was coming up to them. They were still at a distance, but the voice speaking to them was clearly carried over the sea. The only detail of the crew that the Straw Hats could register was a mass of knotted black hair, but a black flag was an unmistakable symbol.

“Sora?” Luffi asked her first mate. “Isn’t that the guy we met in Mock Town?”

“Looks like it,” Sora said cautiously, a hand brushing her swords. “What’s he doing here?”

“Well, well, well! I finally caught up to you, Straw Hat Luffi!” the man shouted.

“What guy?” Sanae asked. “The one who stole the gold, out for revenge?”

“No,” Namizo said simply, staring at the rapidly approaching ship. “Different guy.”

“Don’t be shy, Straw Hat!” the man shouted at them, laughing. “I’ve come out here to collect your bounty!”

Luffi only looked blank. They’d met bounty hunters before, although not one flying a jolly roger, but there was something weird about this situation. “Hey, you said you didn’t even believe that I had a bounty of twenty-five million!” she yelled at him.

“That was before you took out Bellamy with one punch!” the man yelled back. “Besides, I wasn’t talking about your old one – twenty-five million’s nothing!”

“My… old one?” Luffi glanced at her crew for an explanation, but they looked as confused as she was.

“Says right here.” The man held up both hands, showing something that they couldn’t quite make out. Usoppa started rummaging in her satchel for her binoculars. “Monkey D. Luffi: ninety million berries. Roronoa Zoro: sixty million.”

Usoppa found her binoculars and peered through them, leaning over the railing to get a better view. “Yeah, he’s right! Looks like your bounty went way up, Luffi! And it looks like Sora – or, well, Zoro – got a bounty too!”

Sanae was next to her in a heartbeat. “You see one for me?” she asked, leaning over. Her voice was still a little damaged from the forest, which had not been helped when they’d fallen into the whirlpool, but she was understandable.

“Nope, sorry.”

“Come on, look harder.”

Luffi started to giggle, which quickly turned into full out laughter. “Wow! Ninety million berries! My bounty went up big time!”

“Sixty million’s not too bad, either!” Sora said gleefully, grinning broadly.

“You two do realise that bounties are bad things, right?” Namizo demanded.

Handing over the binoculars so Sanae could check for herself, Usoppa ducked around the cook to look at the swordsman. “You know, Sora, technically the bounty is for a ‘Roronoa Zoro’.”

“So?” Sora asked cheerfully. “It’s still _my_ bounty, and it’s still a high one!” She’d been well aware that four years of crossdressing would take a long time to go away, might never do, and she didn’t care. She preferred ‘Sora’, but ‘Zoro’ would work too.

“Enough of this!” the black-bearded man snapped. “Straw Hat, you-”

“Guys, it’s starting!” Namizo shouted suddenly, sprinting to grab the mast. It was a split second warning before everyone could feel the ship beginning to rise, the _Merry_ lifting up higher than the other ships nearby.

“Everyone, hold on or get inside!” Sanae yelled through a scratchy throat, holding the binoculars loosely to her side as she vaulted onto the deck. The others scrambled to obey, sensing that being loose would be a bad idea.

For a long moment the world was dead silent. Then the tension broke when the water surface did, flinging the Straw Hats into the air on a giant pillar of water.

The other pirate ship was thrown violently away. The crew of the _Merry_ didn’t waste time thinking about them, clutching to whatever they had grabbed to keep safe.

After a long moment of screams and shouts, and of the roar of water intermingled with the gale blowing against them, Namizo’s voice rose above, firm and in control, giving orders that could be understood by seafarers even in this impossible situation. This was an entirely new circumstance, but the navigator knew what he was doing, and the crew obeyed without question.

Luffi’s laugh was carried around them on the wind as the sails unfurled. “Guys, we’re going to the sky!”

 

**__ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nice long chapter this time round. There were a couple of places where I could have split it, but then it was either too short or the next chapter didn’t flow as evenly… so the long and the short of it is, you get a long chapter this time.
> 
> Comments are absolutely, one hundred percent appreciated.


	21. “There’s A Place That I Must Never Go No Matter What?”

Sora had been sure that the anchor probably wouldn’t take. After all, they were sailing on a bed of clouds. She’d dropped it anyway in the hope it would work, and to her surprise it caught on the solid clouds, which she would have thought to be an oxymoron before reaching the sky.

After testing it to be secure, the swordsman walked to the front of the ship, watching Luffi, Usoppa, and Choppa play on the beach. They were bouncing around on the soft clouds, laughing deliriously.

“It does look amazing,” Sora said quietly, her eyes taking in the full view. Skypeia was beautiful, a thousand clouds woven together into human settlements, with a soundtrack of her crewmates laughing. “Never thought I would see something like this.”

“Yeah, it’s gorgeous,” Sanae agreed, unlacing her shoes. The cook had stopped to get dressed into a short crop top, and had brushed her hair after the trip up turned it into a birds nest. “Although I have to admit I think our crewmates are getting carried away. They’re hopeless sometimes.” She placed her shoes carefully on the deck before gleefully leaping overboard, shrieking in delight.

“And so are you,” Sora said dryly as Sanae splashed into the white sea.

The South Bird soared into the air as Namizo stepped back onto the deck, cringing. “Uh, we probably should have let it go. It won’t survive up here, will it?”

“If people can, it can too. Birds adapt quickly.” Sora shrugged, glancing at the man-made buildings. “Besides, it can always fly down.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Namizo said with a sigh. He got to his feet and happily climbed overboard. “But you two should really check this out!”

“Coming,” Roben called, as the navigator grinned and sprinted ashore. The archaeologist glanced at Sora. “So the captain sees this as an adventure?”

“Yeah, I guess. What else could she see it as?”

“I always saw trips as necessities, and moments of peace as luck instead of to be planned.” Roben grinned. “Perhaps I should change my perspective on them, then?” He glanced at the shore. “Miss Swordsman, are you coming?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Sora waited for the man to reach the shore before following, enjoying the feeling of clouds against her skin as she jogged to the beach.

Choppa was having fun rolling down piles of cloud. She continually hit lumps that would have hurt had she been on a normal island of rock, but she never stopped giggling. Next to her, Sanae had curiously picked sky-flowers, and had started braiding them into her hair, leaving her hair in a side braid that still was loose enough at the front to cover one eye. Luffi was eagerly climbing trees, wrapping stretching limbs around branches and dropping for the sheer joy of bouncing up again. Usoppa was building a sandcastle, soft cloud moving through her fingers as she moulded it.

“This is so cool!” Namizo yelled, feeling both relaxed and gleeful. “There’s no chance of marines finding us, so we can stay as long as we want!”

Sora walked ashore, kicking her feet absently to try and shake water droplets off them. “So clouds have water in them, huh?” she said absently. She could vaguely remember hearing that in a lesson as a child, but hadn’t been paying attention. At the time, she hadn’t thought one day she’d go to the sky.

The swordsman paused when her foot fell on something that wasn’t soft in the same way the cloud was, something furry. She glanced at what she had stepped on and saw a small animal looking at her, tail trapped beneath her foot. “Suu! Suu!”

“Sorry,” Sora said automatically, lifting her foot and releasing the animal. It bounded backwards before pausing to look at her. Sora crouched to observe it. “What are you? Some kind of fox?”

Her inspection was cut short by the wind changing, bringing music towards the pirates. The Straw Hats all looked around in surprise as the unexpected notes rolled around them.

“I can see someone standing over there.” Roben pointed to a pile of solid clouds, where indeed a humanoid form was clear.

“Is it that guerrilla again?” Usoppa asked nervously, trying to get a good look.

“It doesn’t look like it…” Sanae frowned as the figure started to come into focus. She could see a girl, playing an instrument that looked like a harp, white wings fluttering on her back. “I think it might be… an angel?”

The girl stopped playing. She looked up and saw the various pirates watching her, and shyly smiled. “Heso.”

“Heso?” Luffi repeated.

“I think she means ‘hello’?” Usoppa suggested, tilting her head to the side to observe the blonde girl.

The Skypeian was walking towards them, slowly as if she didn’t want to startle them. “Suu. Come here,” she said, still smiling. The fox-like-thing Sora had founded trilled agreement, walking towards her as the girl looked at the Straw Hats. “Did you come here from the Blue Sea?”

“Uh, yeah. That’s what you call the sea down below, right?” Luffi asked, watching the girl walk forwards. “We sailed up rivers of clouds. Is this your home?”

“Yes,” the girl said peacefully, stopping as she reached the visitors. “My name is Conis, and I’d like to welcome you to Skypeia’s Angel Beach.”

She saw the large nut that Luffi had discovered, and smiled at the captain. “Would you like some help with that conush?” Luffi handed over the nut, and the girl reached for a knife. Sora tensed somewhat, but she could see the girl’s grip was terrible if she planned on attacking. Instead, the girl poked into the nut, breaking a hole and stowing her tool again. “Here. Try it now.” She gave Luffi the nut back and handed her a straw.

Luffi tasted it and lit up with delight. “Yum!” Within a second Usoppa was tugging at the ‘conush’, trying to try it too.

Conis smiled at the Straw Hats, as the sky-fox she’d called ‘Suu’ climbed into her arms. “If there is anything at all I can do to help, please let me know.”

“Well, it’s nice of you to offer, but I think we’re fine,” Sanae said, smiling lightly at her.

“Actually, we do have a couple of questions if you’d like to answer them?” Namizo interrupted, giving a deadly look at the cook, who immediately wilted. “This place is like one big mystery to us.”

“Oh, of course. You can ask me anything you want to know,” Conis said easily.

Sora frowned at the horizon. “Hey, guys? Something’s coming,” she said, heading off Namizo’s questions.

Conis and Namizo looked. “Oh, that’s my father,” Conis said calmly, walking over to the shore and waving at the approaching figure. “Heso, Father!”

“Heso, Conis!”

“Can’t you say hello like normal people?” Luffi asked.

“We’re miles in the sky, it’s amazing we speak the same language at all,” Usoppa snapped at her as Conis’s father came closer.

“Wait, what’s that thing he’s riding on?” Namizo asked curiously, his eyes wide as he registered the contraption allowing the older Skypeian to stay above the surface.

“That would be my father’s waver,” Conis explained.

“Look out!” the man shouted as he drew ever closer with no sign of deceleration. “Stopping is a little difficult!”

The Straw Hats moved to the side and watched as the man didn’t slow, only stopping when his ‘waver’ crashed into the trees. The man stumbled out. “Is everyone alright?”

“You’re the one who crashed!” Sora snapped at him, inexplicably pricked at his assumption that they might have been hurt.

“Luffi, you found something like that on the sea bed, didn’t you?” Namizo asked the captain.

 “Yeah,” Luffi mumbled around her conush.

“That must be the type of boat Noland described. A boat that can sail without wind,” Namizo theorised as the man walked up to them.

“Conis, are these your friends?”

“Yes, Father. They’re from the Blue Sea. They’ve only been here for a few minutes.”

“Impressive. You must still be very curious about the White-White Sea – oh, I’m sorry, the White-White Sea is the place we are currently. My name is Pagaya.” The man paused thoughtfully. “My fishing today was quite successful. Perhaps you would be pleased to join us in our house for dinner?”

“I’m starving! That’s a great idea!” Luffi said eagerly, dropping her now-empty conush. “Thanks, mister!”

“Sky Island Cuisine?” Sanae asked, interested. “I’d love to try that. Would you mind if I helped prepare it?”

“No, not at all.”

“Before we go, may I ask how this… vessel works?” Roben asked curiously, inspecting the waver. “I can’t see any way for it to move.”

“Is that to mean that the Blue Sea don’t have dials?” Conis asked in surprise.

“Dials?” Luffi repeated.

Pagaya gestured for the Straw Hats to look at his waver. He pointed at a small object on the back of the vessel. “This is a Breath Dial. It propels air from it, which in turn forces the waver forwards. I merely have to press the pedals to control how much.”

“That’s so cool!” Luffi said ecstatically. “Can I have a go? Can I? Can I please?”

“Oh, well, certainly.” Pagaya stepped aside as the black-haired girl eagerly carried it down to the sea. “Now, you press the pedal on the left to make it go, and the right side is the brake.”

“Left and right. Got it,” Luffi said eagerly, leaping onto the waver. She successfully found the accelerator (through the process of elimination) and tore into the water.

It was completely unsurprising, bordering on inevitable, that she fell off within thirty seconds.

“Oh, no!” Conis covered her mouth in horror. “I hope she’s alright!”

“Heavens!” Pagaya gasped. “I’m sorry I let an amateur use the waver.”

By comparison, those aware of Luffi’s tendency to sink were watching quite calmly, with the single exception of the panicking doctor.

“Do you think she might float?” Sanae asked the group at large. “This sea might be more buoyant than ours.”

“I’d say so,” Sora agreed. “After all, the entire sea is in the air; it’s possible she’ll float.”

There was a moment of silence as they watched their captain scramble for the surface. As usual she put up a valiant fight, and as usual the water was an enemy she couldn’t defeat.

“She didn’t,” Sanae remarked calmly.

“Not the first time I’ve been wrong,” Sora shrugged it off.

“Okay, so,” Namizo began, turning to the rest of the crew, “Who wants to go rescue her?”

“Luffi!” Choppa howled, already running for the water. “I’ll save you!”

“Uh, Choppa, you-” Usoppa began, but the reindeer had already made it beyond where she could touch the ground. “…Can’t swim either.”

Sora sighed. “I’ll get Luffi,” she stated, pulling off her sword belt and carefully laying them on the shore. “Someone rescue Choppa.”

“I’ll go,” Usoppa agreed, already splashing into the water after the ship’s doctor.

Sora hurtled past the sniper, moving fast. The speed she could reach in this water was impressive; there was almost no resistance. Of course, that actually meant Luffi sunk faster, but the green-haired girl managed to catch her before she fell from the clouds.

Dragging the captain back ashore, Sora noted with relief that Usoppa had successfully gotten Choppa back. It wasn’t that she doubted the sniper’s ability to do so, but since this sea had no bottom once they left the shore, it would have been worse than the significant damage their sea could do. Something about the little doctor in life-threatening danger just inspired concern.

“I apologise for letting a rookie take the waver. I should have thought beforehand,” Pagaya said sincerely. “It takes ten years to learn to handle the waver with enough precision to avoid falling. You must understand the sea like the back of your hand.”

“Wow, Namizo’s doing great!” Usoppa blurted, stunned.

The navigator in question had taken the waver onto the sea. He was easily skidding from side to side, laughter being carried from his lips by the wind. Adjusting to the waves was child’s play to him, almost literally. It was somewhat reminiscent of floating the toy boats he and Nojiko built out of driftwood: both tasks required watching the water until he knew when to let the boat go so that it would rise on the seas. The waver had the added thrill of being part of the action as it happened, of being on the sea and rolling with unfamiliar waves. “This is awesome!” he yelled, a broad grin across his face.

“Namizo! You’re amazing!” Sanae called across the gap.

“That’s so not fair!” Luffi whined.

“That’s incredible – and this is his first time?” Pagaya said, impressed.

Namizo laughed in delight, enjoying his instinctive knowledge of when to rock with the waves and when to lean against them. “This really requires skill – no wonder you couldn’t do it, Luffi!” he called teasingly, enjoying the indignant spluttering from the shore. “Hey, Mr Pagaya, would you mind if I stayed here for a bit while you go on ahead?”

“Certainly; that’s fine,” Pagaya agreed.

Still revelling in what felt like the safety of Sky Island, the rest of the Straw Hats travelled through the outskirts of Skypeia City until they reached Conis and Pagaya’s house.

“Please, make yourself comfortable,” Pagaya said politely as the Blue Sea dwellers looked in amazement at the house. “I will go to prepare dinner. If you still wish to help, you’re welcome to,” he added to Sanae.

“I’d love to,” Sanae said brightly, following him into the kitchen.

Some of the kitchen appliances looked a lot like what they had at home, Sanae mused as she inspected the room. They all seemed to run on a different type of power source, but after all there were practical reasons for them to be similar. It made sense to have something cold to store food that needed it, like an ice-box, and food that didn’t require cold would need shelves and a pantry for efficient storage. Ovens and stoves also made perfect sense to cook food, although there were slightly different designs for each.

“Mind if I try a couple of things to see the flavours?” Sanae asked Pagaya, always cautious not to overstep boundaries in someone else’s kitchen. She could see the Skypeian was beginning to cut some sky-fish he’d collected, but she didn’t want to help until she had an idea what ingredients were available.

“Oh, yes, of course.”

Sanae chose a small jar of blue sauce in the fridge first. She dipped her pinkie into it and carefully tried it. After a moment she gagged, almost retching with the taste.

“Goodness! What happened?”

“I…” Sanae tried to swallow, wishing for a cigarette to get the taste from her mouth, “well, this looked a little novel to me, so I tried it, and… the sauce was a little _intense_ for me. I actually feel kinda dizzy now.” She hoped it wasn’t an indication of all Skypeian tastes. Quite apart from making it difficult to get supplies to cook something she’d be satisfied with, it would be rather galling if it meant all Skypeia natives would loathe her cooking.

“Oh.” Pagaya inspected the jar. “I’m sorry, but it looks like you tried spoiled sauce.”

“Then why do you keep this stuff around?” Sanae shrieked, shattering the jar on the ground. “It’s clearly unfit for cooking with, and now my tongue feels swollen!”

In the living room, Luffi grinned. “It sounds like Sanae’s having fun in the kitchen.”

“She’s probably excited about all the new recipes and ingredients they have on Sky Island,” Usoppa theorised.

Sora tried not to smirk. She had spent years training her senses and was perfectly capable of picking out the conversation. Hearing the discomfort of the cook was amusing.

“Miss, I hate to be abrupt, but perhaps you could explain more about the dials?” Roben asked politely.

“Oh, of course.” Conis paused. “It’s just difficult to explain properly.” She picked up what looked like a small seashell on one of the shelves. “Let’s try this one. This is a Tone Dial. It can repeat any sound you say into it.”

“Let me try, let me try!” Luffi grabbed the dial. “Um… hello!”

“Now press down on the apex,” Conis instructed her.

“Uh… the what?”

“The tip,” Usoppa elaborated, lounging on the cloud-couch.

“Oh.” Luffi pressed the apex of the shell.

‘ _Let me try, let me try! Um… hello! – Now press down on the apex. – Uh, the what?_ ’

“That’s a neat trick,” Sora said as Usoppa’s tinny voice followed from the shell. “It can store sound?”

“And the one that moved the waver was a Breath Dial?” Roben asked.

“Yes. That is a type that can store wind and then make it pour out. It works as a propulsion device.” Conis gestured at the ceiling. “We also have Light Dials, Heat Dials, Flavour Dials, Vision Dials – there’s a huge variety to be found in the coral reefs.”

Luffi leaned over the railing of the balcony and pouted. She could just barely see a glimpse of red hair skating along the surface of the water. “I wish I was on that waver. Stupid waver hog. Well, actually we have one too, but I can’t use it.”

“You have a waver?” Conis asked, impressed.

“Oh, yeah. It’s pretty beat up but we’re fairly sure it’s a waver,” Usoppa answered her. “But it’s at least two centuries old so there’s no chance it’ll work.”

“Actually, dials are made from the shells of dead shellfish. They don’t really have an expiration date as long as they don’t break. My father fixes them; I’m sure he’d be willing to have a look at yours,” Conis explained.

At that moment Sanae opened the door to the kitchen, walking out. She was expertly carrying a large plate, balancing perfectly and slapping away Luffi’s outstretched hand with the ease borne of practise.

“Lunch is served!” Sanae put the plate down and gave a comparatively gentle kick to Sora’s ankle to wake her up. The swordsman jolted awake, mumbling curses under her breath which the blonde ignored. “We have a delicious sky-lobster, paired together with fresh sauce, and an assortment of sky-fruits which I cannot pronounce.”

“It looks yummy!” Luffi pounced on it almost immediately, Choppa following suit. Usoppa at least used cutlery to pull off a piece, before eating her part with her hands. Sora tore off a small piece, before going back for bigger parts. Roben smiled and thanked Sanae, cutting off a piece and eating it with actual manners.

Sanae glanced at the two Skypeians, who were watching the spectacle in amazement. “Aren’t you hungry?”

“Oh, it does look delicious, but since you put so much effort into it-” Conis began.

Sanae grinned. “It’s no trouble, really. I’m used to cooking for these idiots; it’s my job. And besides, it’s your food, you should eat it.”

“Well, if you say so.” Conis cautiously pulled off a piece, her father doing the same. Both tried it and Conis looked around at Sanae. “It’s delicious!”

“Thanks. I’ll give you the recipe.” Sanae waited a few moments, watching as they dug into the food. It had been a novel experience to cook with almost entirely new ingredients, let alone something Pagaya had called a ‘flavour dial’. It had been an interesting change, and was also nice to see it appreciated. Still, Sanae thought that Conis and Pagaya – and quite possibly Roben – were being a little too polite in letting the others tear into the food without going for their own pieces. She made a mental note to make extra for them when it came to making Namizo his meal that he missed.

Where was Namizo, anyway? Sanae glanced over the ocean, trying to see where the navigator had gone. There was no comforting glimpse of the man in question, no hint of anyone riding the waves. “Hey, uh, where’d Namizo go?”

“He probably just went a little too far,” Usoppa said through a mouthful of food. She swallowed. “Don’t worry about it; he’ll come back in a minute.”

Conis put down her fork, looking nervous. “Father, you don’t suppose that he may have-”

“It’s possible, but I can’t say one way or the other,” Pagaya said concernedly.

Luffi stopped stuffing her face for a moment and looked up blankly. “What might Namizo have done?”

“Up here in the sky, there is a place called Upper Yard. It’s not too far away and your friend may have reached it on the waver,” Pagaya explained.

“So…?” Luffi asked, gesturing for them to elaborate. “It’s just a place, isn’t it?”

“It’s forbidden,” Conis said quietly. “No-one may go there. No matter what, you must absolutely never set foot there.”

Luffi’s eyes suddenly lit up with interest. “There’s a place that I must never go no matter what?”

The general feeling that suddenly swept over the Straw Hats was a mixture of exasperation and resignation. Everyone knew that the expression in their captain’s eyes was not one of planned obedience to that rule.

**_ X _ **

“Mmm! Even cold these are still really good!” Luffi announced several hours later, biting into the rest of the meal they had been forced to abandon when Namizo had gone out of sight.

“This is the first time you’ve had leftovers, isn’t it?” Sanae asked dryly, arranging several foodstuffs into lunchboxes.  “But don’t eat it all – everyone else has to eat too, remember.”

“Yeah, but there’s plenty left.” Luffi cheerfully jumped to her feet, carrying her cup with her. “Do you know where the rest of this tea is?”

“You probably finished it all,” Sanae grumbled, trying to decide what colour garnish would give the right affect for the lunchbox she was working on.

Pagaya walked into the room, carrying a tray of tea. “Oh, please. Do not get up. I brought you some more.”

“Really? Thanks, mister! You’re a really nice guy!” Luffi sat back down on the chair, grinning.

Usoppa was busy inspecting the various tools that Pagaya had let her have. Her mind was running in several different directions, making plans for dozens of different inventions that could be done with Sky Island technology.

The other Straw Hats were still on the ship, getting it ready. When Namizo had returned, he’d been adamant that they were _never_ to set foot on Upper Yard, something that in no way lessened Luffi’s interest. The problem was only increased by the fact that they’d met some of Skypeia’s law enforcement, and promptly beat them to a pulp. Sanae, Usoppa and Luffi were only there to restock on food and building supplies.

“So, you’re the shipwright for your vessel?” Pagaya asked Usoppa politely.

“Well, no.” Usoppa was counting out nails, before smiling up at the man. “I’m the sniper, but no-one else actually seems to care how precious our ship is. I also have extreme skill in every subject, so the entire crew relies on me to fix our ship.”

Pagaya smiled at her, listening patiently as Usoppa continued listing the talents of Captain Usoppa.

Conis slipped back inside the room, curiously peering over Sanae’s shoulder. “Wow, is that food?”

“Hmm? Yeah.” Sanae glanced at her in surprise. “Why?”

“Oh, it just looks more like art. I’ve never seen a meal prepared like that before. It looks delicious.”

“Cooking _is_ an art, if you do it properly,” Sanae corrected her, but kept a smile on her face to assure the younger woman that she wasn’t offended by the mistake. The cook paused, and then picked up one of the lunchboxes. “Do you want one?”

“Oh, I couldn’t,” Conis said politely, shaking her head.

Sanae got to her feet, still holding the box. “I insist. Here, try some.”

Cautiously, Conis took it from her. She pulled out a small portion and tasted it, before her eyes grew wide.

“What do you think?” Sanae asked, stretching her hands by cracking the knuckles. “Do you think it might be a little too sweet? I’m still not used to the ingredients you have up here.”

“No, not at all. I think it’s perfect,” Conis assured her, taking another, larger bite.

Sanae grinned. “Thanks.” Flattery was nice, especially from someone who hadn’t shovelled the food in without pausing to taste.

Usoppa screamed, causing everyone in the room to jump to attention.

“Usoppa? What is it?” Luffi asked through a mouthful of food as the sniper hurtled to the balcony.

“The ship! They’re… I think they’ve lost control of the _Merry_!” Usoppa yelped, scrambling though her bag for her binoculars that Sanae had given back after landing.

Sanae was by her in an instant, leaning out over the deck. She could see the ship starting to move, shaking like no ship in good condition should do. Despite that, it was going at alarming speeds that the _Going Merry_ only ever reached with marines after her. More impressive still, the ship was going backwards.

“They wouldn’t just leave us here, would they?” Luffi asked incredulously.

Usoppa finally found her binoculars and pressed them against her eyes. “No, they’re – I think they’re being _carried_! There’s something underneath the ship!”

She was right.

On board the _Merry,_ the four members of the crew were hurriedly trying to figure out a way to stop. Choppa was staring in absolute horror at the dark shadow beneath their ship.

“Should we drop the anchor again?” Sora yelled, running for where it was stored.

“No use – there’s no sea bed, remember?” Roben called back. “Once we’re out of the shallows it won’t catch on anything!”

“It might hit whatever this thing is and force it to let go!” Sora pointed out.

“Or drag us under!” Namizo countered, furiously trying to steer. “Don’t do it!”

Then the entire ship burst out of the water, the thing carrying it revealed. It was impossible to make out from above it, but to the audience in Pagaya’s home it appeared to be a giant lobster.

Sora drew a sword from its sheath, stamping her feet to get a firmer grip. “We’re being hijacked; we have to abandon ship!” she ordered.

“But what about the _Merry_?” Choppa howled, clutching onto the railings for dear life.

“Don’t worry, I’ll stay with her!” Sora promised. “I’ll find out wherever this is going and then come back with her.”

“Wow, Zor – Sora! You’re so brave!” Choppa said in admiration.

“It makes more sense if I stay,” Roben interrupted. “You three should go while we still have time.”

Sora spun on him, anger flaring. “And _why_ exactly does it make more sense for you to stay instead of me?” she demanded furiously. “I can protect the ship just fine on my own.”

“Yes, but if I were to jump overboard I would likely drown,” Roben pointed out, sounding unnaturally calm for the middle of a kidnapping. “I can’t swim, and Mr Navigator couldn’t be expected to keep both me and Miss Doctor afloat. With both you and the navigator, Miss Swordsman, Miss Doctor would be fine.”

That was actually a very good point. Sora felt her defensiveness fade.

“Neither of you are jumping!” Namizo shouted, pointing at the front of the boat where the shoreline was rapidly retreating. Following behind the _Going Merry_ was a huge array of fish, sharp fangs glinting from the sunlight. They looked like either very big sea snakes or very small Sea Kings.

“They say they’re going to eat anyone who goes off the ship!” Choppa shrilly translated the roars.

“Even if we defeated them, there’s sure to be thousands in this sea. We would never make it back ashore,” Roben said morbidly.

“Guess we’re going to the forbidden island, then,” Sora thought. “Where else would they take us?”

In all honesty, the idea of a forbidden island had interested her too. Had she been here alone, it wouldn’t have a strong enough pull to make her go exploring for no reason, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t a little curious. What made them think they could keep her out? And now she had to wonder, what made them gutsy enough to try to force her there anyway?’

Namizo collapsed against the railings. “I… I can’t go back to that island,” he gasped. “We’re all gonna _die_ if we go there!”

“That’s a possibility,” Roben acknowledged. “But I don’t believe we have much of a choice.”

“Stop your whining,” Sora told the navigator sharply. “This ‘forbidden island’ is probably going to be more entertaining than the beach.”

“You have no idea what’s waiting for us!” Namizo howled, shrieking at her.

“Nope.” Sora ran a hand over her swords, a smile starting to play on her face. “Can’t wait to find out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve got to admit something here. I never liked the Skypeia arc for personal, religious reasons that I am perfectly willing to justify if need be. As a result, I skip most of it. The next chapter will pick up after Eneru is defeated. Assume that pretty much everything goes exactly the same in the genderbend universe.   
> But on another note entirely, any comments would be splendid.


	22. "For Blue Sea Pirates, Captain's Orders Are Law."

**Chapter Twenty-Two: "For Blue Sea pirates, captain's orders are law."**

Eneru was gone. Dead, probably, but even if he had survived that he wouldn't be coming back. It would take a special kind of stupid to go back to fight Luffi after that.

The celebration had lasted hours already, and it didn't seem close to stopping. Choppa had already done rounds on each of the crew, fixing them up to the best of her considerable ability. She'd then started to work on the more serious injuries of the Skypeians. After realising her skill, there had been a small group of doctors following her orders and rapidly increasing efficiency. Choppa's own injuries had been treated as well, and the human-reindeer doctor herself had proclaimed that she would make a full recovery.

Parties weren't Sora's favourite thing, but they could be enjoyable, especially when they were somewhat held in her honour. Plus, she'd never turn down free booze, and the drinks they had in the sky were actually not that bad. She'd had a manageable group of admirers, who had thankfully backed off when she'd asked them to do so; there'd been several occasions in the Blue Sea when it hadn't been so easy to extract herself. They'd even been respectful enough not to wake her when she found a quiet spot for a nap.

She woke up after about an hour to find that the celebration wasn't even close to dying down. Yawning, she got to her feet, intending on finding where they'd been passing out beer earlier that night.

Oddly, they seemed to have moved the place. Maybe they ran out of alcohol and had to pack up, although it seemed weird that even the bonfire that had been right next to it had moved. Sora could see sparks from what she assumed was the newly built bonfire in the opposite direction that she had walked in. They'd probably set up again there; the entire country couldn't have run out of booze in an hour.

Still, the place that had been set up in replacement was somewhat quieter. It looked like Shandorian decorations, but that might have been because the entire ruined city was Shandorian. Sora had no idea; it was Roben who cared about that sort of thing, after all.

She paused thoughtfully, looking around at the couple of people who seemed to be dragging their belongings into the city.

"Not at the party, then?" she asked the nearest one.

"No, I – you're one of the Blue Sea people!" the man gasped in amazement, putting down a box to turn to her.

Sora shrugged. "Yeah."

"What are you doing here? You should be celebrated among your crewmates!" the man insisted.

"Meh. Not really my thing."

"I see." The Shandorian nodded, and then respectfully bowed his head. "It is an honour to meet you. Thank you, on behalf of my people."

"It wasn't really a big deal," Sora said dismissively as the man straightened. Admittedly, her wounds from the battles were still aching, but it hadn't been her intention to help either Skypeians or Shandorians. Everything had just happened so fast and she'd been reacting to the situation, knowing who her enemy was and who else wanted to kill them. "But I guess you're welcome." She looked around. "So what are you doing here instead of the party?"

"This is our homeland," the Shandorian explained, gesturing to the ruins and the other Shandorians walking around. "We wanted to see more of what our ancestors fought to reclaim. There's still so much to see, but our curiosity could not wait until the party finished."

"Fair enough, I guess." Sora curiously looked at the box the Shandorian had put down. "What's in there, anyway?"

"Hmm?" The Shandorian opened the box, revealing a large selection of jewellery. "I'm a jeweller. These are the works of my trade."

"I thought that you Shandorians were a warrior race or something?" Sora asked absently, reaching into the box. She pulled out four matching earrings, their hoops interlocking.

"We need more than one trade to survive. Although, most Shandorians – like myself – are also in the army, with trades like these as secondary." Now that he mentioned it, Sora could see the neat bandages around his forehead, marking him as one of the early casualties of the battle.

"Oh." Sora inspected the earrings closer, and her eyes widened. "Hey, wait. Are these made of gold?"

The Shandorian looked blank. "Gold?"

"It's a metal in… uh, the Blue Sea. Your homeland was known as the City of Gold, although there's nothing left."

"I see. I'd heard of it, but never knew that I held some myself." The Shandorian held out a hand and Sora handed the earrings over. "These are simply fragments of Vearth that was found some years ago. They seemed no more special than any Vearth, although easier to make into jewellery."

Sora nodded understanding. After all, if El Dorado was on the island, it made sense for some of the gold to be found elsewhere before Eneru took every drop. Shiny things had a tendency to be taken as souvenirs; there was no reason any scraps of gold wouldn't be carried off as minor trophies in an endless war.

They were small beads of gold on thin golden hoops, barely enough to make Namizo look twice, but pretty impressive that some gold was saved. The swordsman rubbed a hand over her own bare ears, her eyes still trailing on the earrings.

Apparently the Shandorian noticed. "Would you like them?"

"I haven't got any money," Sora answered, hurriedly releasing her ear.

"It would be an honour for one of the Blue Sea heroes who saved us to have them," the Shandorian assured her, taking her hand. He pressed the earrings into her palm. "Vearth is precious to us, but you are the reason we have it all."

Sora was still somewhat hesitant. Jewellery had always seemed like an alarmingly feminine thing for her to risk. Logically she knew that men wore jewellery of all kinds, but it had seemed too dangerous for her if she had wanted to stay disguised as a boy.

It had been a man that had first given her the idea, though. A few months after she first put on bandages and cut her hair short, she'd gotten into a casual conversation with a man at a bar. He'd seemed at least a little drunk, and had talked without prompting about how he was sure never to find himself without money because he always had gold on him. He'd claimed that should the situation ever get drastic enough, he could always trade one of his multiple earrings for a warm bed and food, and boasted that there was no chance of him losing them since they were always there. He'd also given a warning that there were plenty of thieves after 'a nice bit of gold like this', which had only interested Sora further. A back-up supply of cash, combined with the potential for a couple of good fights – that sounded just like the sort of thing she'd want.

She didn't  _regret_  having to refuse the urge, since at the time she was still rejoicing in the new feeling of being free just to carry a sword without getting snide comments. Still, the very next day she'd found three earrings, shaped like long golden teardrops, that were right within her price range, and was almost tempted to get them.

And of course, there was no reason for her to decline today, not if they were free.

"Well… alright." Sora closed her fist around them, giving a flicker of a smile at the man. "Thanks."

She picked one of the earrings, unhooking it from the others. Carefully she put it against her earlobe, judging that it was where she wanted it to be.

Without flinching, the pirate stabbed the earring through her flesh, clicking it shut the moment it penetrated.

To his credit, the Shandorian looked more surprised than horrified. "Is that a Blue Sea custom, to do it yourself?"

"Uh, don't think so." She'd never actually given much thought to how most people did it. Sora unhooked the second of the four earrings and placed it just above the first, piercing her ear in the same manner.

"Would you like me to do the other two for them to be even?" the Shandorian offered.

Sora shrugged. Being 'even' hadn't ranked as a priority, but there was no reason not to be. "Sure."

She handed over the small gold hoops. The Shandorian accepted them and then dug through his box again, pulling out a long needle. "Do you want them all on the same side or on both ears?"

Sora hesitated. "Uh… it's kinda girly to have them on both ears, right?"

The Shandorian considered that, pulling out a dial. It was presumably a small Flame Dial, as fire started to burn from it, which he then held the needle in. "Not in Shandora. Maybe it's different in the Blue Sea world. Do you want them all on the same ear, evenly spaced?"

"I…" Sora hesitated, and then abruptly made a decision. "No. Both ears."

The Shandorian obliged. The hot needle made a sharp sting going in, and the jeweller's expert hands switched it for the small gold hoops.

After a moment he rummaged through his box again, while Sora waited patiently. Finally, he pulled out a small mirror and handed it to her.

Sora hadn't seen herself in the mirror since the crew had split up to search for gold. Her face had a couple of fresh grazes, nothing that would scar but still noticeable on her face, and her hair was somewhat uneven – she vaguely remembered seeing a flash of green as she almost hit the 'Iron Cloud' barbed wire and assumed a clump of hair had been cut off. She made a mental note to ask Usoppa to fix that if she remembered (Namizo was neater, but he charged for the smallest things).

It was hard to decide if she liked the little gold flecks on her ears, shining brightly against her green hair that (in most spots) was just barely long enough to pass them. Sora turned her head, angling the mirror to get different perspectives of them.

They looked almost alarmingly… feminine. Little golden hoops with small beads; they were more stereotypically girly than the pink shirt, more than anything she'd worn in years.

But not weak. The earrings actually looked somewhat natural on her, and they didn't make her look fragile or delicate; they just made her look a little more like a girl.

Maybe, just maybe, femininity didn't have to be the same thing as weakness. Maybe she could still act like a girl while being a fighter.

The stupid cook did it often enough, and while curly-brow wasn't as strong as her, Sora doubted that was due to her tendency to wear make-up on occasion. There was a whole list of things that irritated her about Sanae, and the cook's femininity wasn't one (assuming the desire to be a damsel in distress didn't count). For that matter, Usoppa herself had a small collection of jewellery, and often would do her hair in elaborate styles for the sake of it. Sora had never seen Choppa wear anything but a dress with little shorts under it, although admittedly when she switched to Heavy Point the dress became closer to a short shirt. And there was no chance that Luffi would ever do something for a reason as stupid as gender roles, whether fulfilling them or contradicting them. Seeing as Namizo and Roben had never given any indication that they cared, that meant that pretty much everyone whose opinion mattered to her didn't care about femininity or masculinity.

Sora didn't give a damn if she looked  _pretty_  or not, but she decided that on the whole she liked how it looked.

"Thanks, I guess." She handed the mirror back.

The Shandorian smiled at her. "It's absolutely no trouble for one of the Blue Sea heroes."

Sora shrugged. It still didn't feel like she'd done anything particularly heroic, but she didn't care enough to try to correct him. "I'm going to go back to the party, now. See you round."

The swordsman walked off purposefully. Watching her leave, the Shandorian wondered if that confident walk came from her knowledge of how strong she was, or if it was because she was convinced the direction she was going in was correct. Either way, it still raised questions on how anyone could think that the party, complete with a bonfire and joyful shouts, was the way that she had chosen.

He was still trying to decide whether to call her back when the pirate stopped abruptly, probably noticing that the still-visible bonfire was actually in the other direction. She spun on heel and walked back, trying not to blush. All of the Shandorians who had been watching the encounter averted their eyes from the flushing swordsman.

She wasn't quite going in the right direction yet, but it was closer. She'd find the party eventually, new earrings and all.

_ **X** _

"Roben! Hurry up!" Luffi's voice rang out across the ruined city.

The approaching archaeologist didn't start running, but he looked at his captain in surprise. Roben glanced at the Shandorians and Skypeians walking behind him, his eyes skating over the giant golden pillar covered by cloth.

"Come on!" Luffi shouted, waving. "Run! We've gotta leave, now! We stole some gold-"

The captain's shout was cut off abruptly. It was difficult to tell from the distance, but Roben could make a good guess that the cook standing next to her – recognisable by the long wave of blonde hair – had just shut her up, probably with a kick.

It was easy enough to guess what the captain had been trying to say, Roben mused, but if the rest of the crew thought it was worth preventing the sky peoples from knowing then who was he to reveal it?

Choppa's high pitched shriek was more audible than Sanae's protest. "It's an army!" the doctor shrilled, frantically trying to hide the wrong way behind Usoppa's legs.

"Roben!" Luffi howled, slinging the sack on her back around to show the archaeologist. Roben could see the faintest glimmer of treasure in it. "See? Gold! We have to get back to the ship now!"

"I can't see properly," one of the Shandorians carrying the pillar complained. "Are they showing us that they've already packed their bags?"

"They can't leave yet!" a Skypeian gasped. "We haven't thanked them!" He took a deep breath and started to yell, his peers following suit quickly. "Hey, wait! You can't go! Stop!"

There was a moment when the Straw Hats seemed to converse amongst themselves, gesturing frantically at both the approaching group and in the direction the ship was. Then, after a minute, Usoppa climbed onto the place Luffi had perched before Sanae dragged her off.

"Stop, you say?!" Usoppa's self-trained orator's voice rang out, Luffi cheering behind her. "Never! We risked our very lives to reach the sky, and we refuse to leave empty handed! We have found the City of Gold, and as self-respecting pirates we are  _duty-bound_ to bring as much treasure home as we can! We will not be chased out without any gold!"

"Chased out?" a Shandorian gasped. "What's she talking about? Why would we chase them?"

He and several of his fellows looked to Roben for answers, hoping the Blue Sea pirate in their midst could explain. "Do you and your friends want this 'gold' or not?"

Roben looked around at the various men and women, both those carrying the pillar and those walking behind. He grinned at them. "Looks like we don't!"

"What?!"

"No, you have to!"

"Please!"

"We need to thank you!"

Roben shrugged, still grinning, then looked around again as he heard Luffi's voice. "Come on! Rooobbbbeeeeeennnnnnn! We need to go!  _We can't let them catch us!_ " The captain beckoned frantically, still looking delighted by the whole situation.

"I see," Roben said to himself, and then looked back at the intermingling sky-peoples with a slightly wicked grin. "While I thank you for your kindness and appreciate the offer, it looks like the captain has made up her mind." His eyes gleamed. "And for Blue Sea pirates, captain's orders are law."

Still smiling wickedly, Roben crossed his arms. " _Cien fleur – trip!_ "

A hundred hands bloomed from the ground, reaching out to grab the front lines of the large group behind him. The fingers curled around ankles, tugging them and making their owners collapse to the floor. Those carrying the gold weren't tripped lest the heavy pillar go rolling and hurt someone; instead they were trapped by their pinned feet to the ground.

Before the storm of protests could swell up Roben was already sprinting, hitching his bag up better onto his back as he raced towards the other Straw Hats.

"Roben!" Sanae swooned as he approached. "Come on!"

"Let's go!" Luffi yelled, already starting to run.

Her crew followed suit, Roben catching up as they reached the security of the forest, leaping over trees to keep their lead. Behind them, the Shandorians and Skypeians had managed to re-establish themselves and were sprinting after them, nearly begging them to accept their gratitude.

"Hey, Zoro, did you see me take care of them back there?" Usoppa said brightly to the swordsman running next to her, both lugging their own hauls of 'stolen' treasure. "That was pretty brave of me, right?"

"Yeah," Sora agreed, grinning at her. "Good job."

"Guys, don't stop!" Luffi laughed, ducking under a tree branch that was the right height for her head. "We're heading back to the Blue Sea!"

"Finally!" Sanae laughed, the bag of gold on her back clinking. "I can't wait to get home!"

They kept sprinting, passing by the huge trees that had grown to epic proportions in the sky.

"Why are we running?" Roben asked cheerfully, hitching his bag up a little tighter.

"Because we stole some gold!" Usoppa informed her, glancing nervously over her shoulder and relieved to note that they seemed to be gaining distance. "They're bound to be furious! Didn't you see that cannon?"

"Cannon?" Roben repeated.

"You know – that huge weapon that they were carrying!"

Roben briefly considered correcting her, and then decided that on the whole, this was probably how everyone would prefer to leave. "Oh, right, that cannon. Well, we'd better make sure that they can't catch us."

"Looking good!" Sanae announced, looking behind them. "I think they've given up!"

"I see the ship!" Luffi declared. "Namizo and Conis have already gotten it ready to sail!"

"Namizo!" Sanae squealed, almost hitting a tree root in her daze. She stumbled around it clumsily, and then put on a burst of speed to avoid falling behind.

Namizo and Conis were already on the ship, trying to get it ready for sail. Namizo was instructing Conis in what to do, as the Skypeian had never had any experience in anything like a ship's rigging, but she was a good listener and Namizo never had need to repeat himself.

"They're back," Conis said, leaning over the railing.

"Yeah – look out!" Namizo pulled the blonde girl back from where a rubber hand had caught the railing. Luffi and crew came rocketing aboard, Usoppa flying through the air where Conis's head had been a moment earlier.

"Oh, my. Thank you, Namizo."

"No worries."

"Namizo! Did you miss me?" Sanae swooned, hearts in her eyes.

"Did you bring back treasure?" Namizo interrupted, his eyes almost in the shape of berry symbols.

"Yep!" Luffi opened her rucksack slightly to show the gold in it. Namizo almost started drooling at the sight.

"You can admire it later, though," Usoppa interrupted. "The sky-islanders are coming after us, and they've got a huge cannon the size of the ship!"

"What?" Namizo looked around, startled.

"It's true, Mr Navigator," Roben lied. "I saw it myself. We had best hurry."

"Right! Come on, set sail! Pagaya's going to meet us in a minute on his boat; we'll drop Conis off there!" the navigator ordered. "But put that treasure in the store room – if you lose any of it I'll kill you!"

"Yes, Namizo!" Sanae crooned, already carrying her bag into the storage space. The others followed suit, Sora grumbling under her breath about money-hungry fiends who didn't do any of the work himself.

The  _Going Merry_ started to sail off. Conis hesitantly sat in the back of the ship, watching the situation with wide eyes.

"Never seen a caravel, huh?" Sanae grinned at her, sitting next to her as they got underway.

"No, I haven't. In fact, I've rarely ever seen any ships that don't run on dials, and certainly never been on one." Conis looked up at the sails. "It's all rather… impressive."

"Yeah, it is." Sanae agreed. She paused for a moment. "Look, I wanted to say thank you for the first aid after me and Usoppa got hit by lightning. That was you, right?"

"Oh… yes, it was," Conis agreed. "But you don't have to thank me. You saved our world."

Sanae shrugged, and then glanced at the sea at the sound of a blaring horn playing a surprisingly cheery ditty. "That sounds like your dad now."

Conis ran to the side of the ship, waving over the edge. "Heso, Father!"

"Heso, Conis!" Pagaya waved.

Conis looked hesitantly at Sanae. "I don't mean to be a burden, but is there any way for me to leave the ship without jumping?"

Sanae nodded. "Yeah, there is. Hey, Luffi!"

Luffi bounded over. "Yeah? What is it, Sanae?"

"Could you help Conis get down to her dad?"

"Oh, sure!" Luffi grabbed the Skypeian girl by the shoulders, stretching her other arm back to wrap around the mast.

"Be careful!" Namizo ordered. "Don't just drop her!"

Luffi jumped into the air, springing over the side. Conis yelped and buried her face into the younger girl's shoulder, cringing as they plummeted towards the Skypeian vessel.

It was actually a surprisingly light landing. The boat rocked heavily but didn't capsize as they touched down, and Luffi took most of the impact and protected Conis, her arm still holding the ship.

Luffi abruptly let go of the blonde, who stumbled backwards and was caught by her father as Suu leapt onto her feet.

"See ya!" Luffi beamed, before jumping up again. Her arm clutching the mast pulled her back towards the ship, letting her land gracelessly on the deck.

The others had run to the side of the ship, waving.

"Thanks for everything, Conis and Pagaya!" Choppa said, crawling onto the railing to wave better.

"It's no problem!" Pagaya called back.

Conis pointed ahead. "That's Cloud End! You're almost home!"

That pronouncement was met with cheers. Everyone raced to the front of the ship, staring at the huge gate emblazoned with the words ' _Cloud End_ '.

They approached easily. Pagaya, Conis and Suu docked and ran along the pathway by Cloud End, waving.

"I'm sorry, but this is as far as we can go!"

"Take care of yourselves!"

"We will! You too!" Namizo called.

"Bye!" Usoppa waved. "Say goodbye to everyone else for us, will you?"

"Thanks for having us!" Sanae yelled.

"It was really great!" Choppa laughed, waving frantically.

Luffi grinned widely. "It was nice meeting you two. Thanks for everything."

"No, thank  _you_ ," Conis said, sprinting to keep up with the ship. "We'll never forget you!"

"Take in your sails and hold on tight!" Pagaya advised.

Assuming that the Milky Road down to the Blue Sea would be incredibly steep, the Straw Hats hurried to obey, still yelling their goodbyes even as they furled the sails.

" _Joh!_ " A brightly coloured bird with its head facing an odd angle landed on the ship.

"It's the South Bird we brought with us," Choppa explained as it gripped its perch tightly. "It says 'don't leave without me'."

"Alright," Namizo nodded, checking his wrist. "The log-pose has been set for days. We're ready to go."

They passed through the gate. Everyone ran to grab hold of various parts of the ship, waiting to see the Milky Road as Conis and Pagaya ran through the walkway.

"Enjoy the freefall!" Conis yelled to them.

Instead of celebration or a rush to get a tighter grip, there was only a horrified silence.

"Uh, did she say…" Usoppa said weakly, " _freefall_?!"

Then the white sea underneath them dropped away.

There was nothing to do, no course of action to take. The Straw Hats could only gape at the safety of Cloud End, now lost to them.

"Heso!" Conis and Pagaya called as the  _Going Merry_  began to drop.

After a long moment of terror, a huge octopus burst from the clouds, prompting even more screams. Sora unsheathed two of her swords as the tentacles wrapped around them, but all of a sudden Namizo held out an arm in front of her, holding her back. "Wait, look!"

Sora stared in shock, sheathing her swords. All around her, she could see her crewmates staring with the exact same expressions of bewilderment and relief.

The octopus had grabbed onto the ship and inflated. Somehow, it was filled with air to the point that it was actually slowing their descent. The Straw Hats were floating downwards.

"It's a…" Sanae began, blinking up at the huge canopy above them. "Parachute? Or a balloon?"

"We're not going to die?" Choppa asked weakly, as if seeking reassurance.

_Diiiing… Doooong… Diiiing… Doooong… Diiiiing… Doooong…_

"The Golden Bell…" Namizo whispered.

It really was a beautiful way to leave the island, Usoppa reflected. The warm clouds reflected sunlight, making the ship gleam in the brightness but kept it from being glary. And the bell was ringing, loudly proclaiming friendship. Maybe, Usoppa thought with a smile, even though they'd stolen the gold they'd still be welcomed back if they ever returned. After all, they did save the island, and maybe after their anger cooled they'd be able to forgive it.

Sora yawned, resting against the mast. Usoppa glanced at the swordsman, moving obligingly out of the way, and paused when she saw a glimmer. "Are you wearing… earrings?"

"Hmm?" Sora blinked at her sleepily, before rubbing her ears. "Yeah."

"Can I ask why?"

"I liked 'em. Guy said I could have them, so…" Sora shrugged, closing her eyes.

"Ah." Usoppa considered that. "Okay. They look good."

"Thanks," Sora mumbled sleepily, already drifting off.

She slept for hours. When she eventually woke up, it was dark out.

"Still not on the sea, huh?" she asked sleepily.

"Not yet." Roben shook his head.

"Do we know how long it'll take?"

"Again, no."

Sora yawned. "Well, this is boring, then."

"Go back to sleep, then," Usoppa told her dully, looking up from the story she was telling to Luffi and Choppa.

Almost on cue, the octopus began to deflate.

Sanae cheerfully screamed for a rescue as the ship started to drop, its speed increasing. Everyone ignored her.

"Mr Navigator!" Roben yelled. "Do you think we're close enough to the ocean yet to survive impact?"

"Not a chance!" Namizo screamed.

"The  _Merry's_  going to go straight to the bottom of the ocean!" Choppa wailed.

"More likely she'll shatter on impact," Roben corrected morbidly.

"Shatter? Kaya's ship, shatter?" Usoppa repeated incredulously. "No! The Great Captain Usoppa would never allow it!"

To the surprise of the rest of the crew, she pulled out a grappling hook and attached it to the side of the ship. Climbing up onto the railing, she wrapped the rope around her belt securely.

"Usoppa, what are you-" Namizo began.

"Don't do anything stupid, Usoppa!" Sanae snapped. "Get back on board!"

The sniper was shaking, but paid no heed to the yells directed at her. With a mighty battle cry that sounded more like a scream of terror, she leapt off the side of the ship, swinging on her rope until she was under the boat.

Clinging to the keel of the ship, Usoppa dug into her bag, pulling out several of the dials she had traded on Skypeia. She'd come up with fourteen different Breath Dials, all of which she attached along the keel.

When she'd bought them, they'd all been full. Now they started to blow air down, pushing up against gravity. "Float!" Usoppa yelled, half pleadingly and half triumphantly as she swung back to dangle by the side of the ship.

Sure enough, the ship had definitely begun to slow its descent. Usoppa clumsily climbed the rope, before a rubber hand stretched down to offer assistance in reaching the hull.

"That oughta do it!" Usoppa declared, bounding to her feet after Luffi had inevitably crashed her into the deck. "The Great Captain Usoppa has saved the day again!"

"I'll say. Good job, Usoppa," Sanae agreed.

Then, with a slight  _pop_ , the octopus balloon deflated.

"Everybody, get down!" Luffi ordered as their speed picked up again. The crew obeyed without question, flattening themselves on the deck.

The  _Merry_  hit the ocean with a wicked  _crunch_. Water sprayed over the deck, but despite eerie creaks it stayed intact.

"We're… alive?" Namizo asked hesitantly, almost as if he was unsure.

Luffi picked up the now tiny octopus cheerfully. "Yeah, we sure are!"

Sanae lit a much-needed cigarette, blowing smoke into the air. "And we got to see an incredible place."

"We certainly did," Roben agreed wistfully, looking up at the sky.

"Where are we now?" Namizo asked curiously, peering out over the railing.

"Looks like some kind of lake," Sora mused, glancing at the imposing natural walls around their ship.

"I hope there are currents to the ocean," Usoppa sighed, glancing at the ground. She wondered if it was possible any of the Breath Dials had survived that. Somehow she doubted it, but she'd check next chance just in case. "But I'm just glad that the  _Merry_  made it."

A siren, loud and foreign, started to ring through the air.

The Straw Hats all stared up in dawning comprehension as spotlights, set deep into the mountains Sora had noticed, started to illuminate their ship, pointing straight at their Straw Hatted Jolly Roger. The bright light on their pirate flag only served to further contrast the two curved arches painted on the stone walls of the island.

Sky Island may have had significantly different forms of law enforcement than the Blue Sea, but there was no chance of the Straw Hats ever forgetting the symbol of the marines.

"We're in a… navy base?" Namizo asked faintly.

More and more lights shone on the ship, pointing out exactly where they were. Silhouettes and incoherent shouts drifted to the pirates on the wind as marines rushed to the scene.

Abruptly Luffi got to her feet. "Everyone. Get off the ship anyway you can."

"What?" Usoppa asked incredulously, turning to face the captain furiously. "Abandon the  _Merry_?! Not a chance!"

"We won't abandon her, Usoppa," Luffi assured her. The Straw Hats had found that when the situation became truly dangerous, the captain tended to become completely serious. She wasn't quite at that stage yet – her eyes were still twinkling with a drop of her natural good humour – but she wasn't smiling either. "We'll get her back. But we can't do that if we're arrested."

There was a splash as boats started to push into the water.

Luffi's eyes widened with panic. "Everyone, get off, now! We'll meet up later!"

Without another word her arm soared towards land, catching grip on a heavy rock. Luffi flew off, landing with a grunt.

Sora didn't hesitate. The captain had given her orders, so Sora would follow. Securing her swords, she leapt overboard, splashing into the water.

Choppa pulled out a rumble ball, crunching it between her teeth. "Jumping point!" She leapt off the ship.

Namizo had already gone into the storage room to retrieve the waver. Splashing into the water, he tried to disappear as silently as possible.

Sanae gracefully dove into the water, melding in with the sea as only a child who grew up on the waves could do. It only took a few kicks to bring her far from the  _Merry_ , climbing silently ashore.

Usoppa was still looking unsure. "Miss Longnose, we can't wait," Roben warned her. "I know you care about the ship, but a battle on deck would damage her more than letting the marines take her temporarily."

"Well… alright," Usoppa said uncertainly, seeing the logic in the archaeologist's words.

Roben's head snapped around as he heard the first bump of a small boat hitting their ship. Instantly, a hand bloomed on Usoppa's shoulder, wrapping around her mouth to prevent her from shrieking as the black-haired man grabbed her tightly by the wrist. Roben proceeded to pull them both overboard, a chain of hands reaching from his free arm to swing them ashore.

Everyone safe for the time being, they all took a moment to look back at their ship being swarmed by marines, cannons being aimed.

"Well…" Sanae said softly, water dripping from her body as she crept to the relative safety of the trees. "This is a fine mess we've gotten ourselves into."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured that on the one hand, it made sense for Sora not to have gotten earrings, but it took me a while to work out how to mention it. After all, it's easy to describe a pirate as having three golden loops, but I couldn't find a way to make it sound natural that Sora's ears were bare. So I decided on the whole, a nice scene in which our female swordsman learns that femininity isn't a weakness would be good.  
> I really did like the anime arc 'Navarone', so that's actually going to have a lot more detail than Skypeia.  
> Comments, reviews and kudos make me really happy.


	23. “Navarone. It’s An Invincible Navy Fortress.”

**Chapter Twenty-Three: “Navarone. It’s an invincible navy fortress.”**

Sora pulled off her shirt and started wringing it out into the water. Flicking the last few drops off, she pulled it back on and looked around.

“So… where to next?” she asked the air, starting to walk. Her boots sunk deep into the almost swamp-like sand.

It was annoying to try to walk on. Sora glanced around, looking for somewhere easier, and saw an open window set into the rock a few meters above her head.

Squelching through the muddy beach, Sora gratefully pushed off onto the hard rock surface. The wall was filled with imperfections and natural handles, making it easy to climb up. Within a few minutes she’d climbed into the window.

As soon as she landed, her hands went instantly to her swords in case someone else was there. She cautiously released them again after noting that she was in a deserted corridor.

“I think the ship was this way…” Sora said thoughtfully, turning off to walk left. “I can probably find it eventually.”

Muddy footprints stayed as clear traces of her path. Sora knew she was leaving them, but didn’t really care. Since she was alone she couldn’t endanger any of her nakama by leading marines to them, and she was confident in her own abilities should a fight break out.

The corridor remained deserted as her footsteps echoed. The siren had shut off, but she could still hear shouts as marines gave each other orders.

Sora took the next left turn, guessing –wrongly – that it would take her closer to the lake.  She missed the fact that the increased level of noise probably actually meant she was heading deeper into the facility, and paused when she reached a new room.

It was for no reason but good fortune that no marine paid attention to her, even as they were running around the room, pulling levers and shouting orders. She could hear the word ‘pirates’ being repeated from all quarters, but apparently it had never occurred to them that one of the pirates in question might have made it to the boarding inspection bridge.

“Where did the others go, anyway?” Sora asked absently, looking around.

With a sigh, she continued, slipping into the door on the other side of the room. The corridor there was just as empty as the first, this time with random exits throughout. She picked a doorway on her right at random and walked through.

Apparently the marine fortress was built like a maze. The swordsman had to double back several times as she reached dead ends. More than once she had to duck behind a door as patrolling marines walked past, one hand on her swords in case they noticed her. Somewhat to her disappointment, none of them did.

Sora had been in dozens of marine bases before. After all, there was no point in catching a bounty if she didn’t turn them in to the navy. While an awful lot of them had been designed with a confusing layout, back when she was still on relatively good terms with the marines she could just ask for directions. Sora much preferred life as a Straw Hat than when she was earning the moniker ‘Pirate Hunter’ (despite never using it herself), but being able to ask would be useful right about now.

“-and Roronoa Zoro-” Sora’s ears pricked up at her assumed name as a brief snatch of conversation became clear from the adjacent hallway. She walked towards it, not bothering to hide her steps.

“We don’t know anything else about the crew, but Straw Hat Luffi is known to be a notorious pirate,” a marine officer was telling a party of men as they walked past. “It’s our duty to track them down and apprehend the intruders.”

“Did you say one of the crew was _the_ Roronoa Zoro?” one of the marines asked nervously. “The great swordsman known as the East Blue’s most dangerous pirate hunter?”

“Oh, what are you so worried about?” One of his peers slapped him on the back. “We’ll make him and his friends regret ever coming here.”

Sora entered the corridor they were in just as they rounded the corner. “You’ll make me regret it, huh?” she asked dryly, looking after them.

Swordsmanship of the level that Sora practised involved increasing her instincts for danger. Normally she would have sensed the blow coming, but normally her ears weren’t strained for anything unusual. She heard the footsteps, but she subconsciously categorised them as familiar and dismissed them. As a result, the sudden pain as a long wooden handle cracked into her skull came as a surprise.

“Ow! Hey!” Sora spun around, one hand flying to her swords. “If it’s a fight you want, you’ll – oh. Hey, Namizo.”

“What are you doing, just walking around openly?!” Namizo demanded furiously. He had somehow gotten his hands on a marine janitor’s uniform, including the mop which had been what he hit her with. “This is a hostile fortress! You’ll be caught in no time if you walk around carrying three swords!”

Sora didn’t get a chance to protest before the former thief lunged forwards, practised fingers untangling the three sheathes from Sora’s belt.

“Hey! Give those-”

“Everyone here still thinks you’re a boy, which might help disguise you if you don’t give away who you are on a platter!” Namizo snapped, stepping backwards to prevent Sora grabbing them back. “How many people do you think use three sword style here, huh?!”

Abruptly he shut up, turning around to face approaching footsteps. “Come on, we’ve gotta hide!” he blurted, running for the nearest door. Sora followed him, furious that he’d stolen her swords.

The two emerged onto a balcony, staring out at the sunrise over the lake. Namizo hurriedly inched the door closed somewhat, leaving it open a crack as talking marines passed by.

“That was too close.” The navigator sighed in relief.

“I’m sick of running,” Sora grumbled. “Why can’t we just fight our way out?”

“Don’t be an idiot!” Namizo snapped at her. “We don’t know where the others are! If we did something like that-”

“-then they’d show up,” Sora interrupted, raising an eyebrow.

“No, they’d – actually, they would.” Namizo seemed to consider the idea for a moment, and then rapidly shook his head. “But it’s not like the _Merry_ would. We _need_ to find the others.”

“Relax, would you?” Sora rolled her eyes. “There’s no need to panic.” She paused, leaning over the railings. “Hey, there’s actually a pretty good view here, isn’t there?”

This time, she had enough warning to turn when the mop handle started hurtling towards her head, her hand instinctively going to her hip. With no swords on her belt, though, her hand curled around air and the mop made a dull _clunk_ against her head. “IS THIS REALLY THE TIME TO BE ADMIRING THE VIEW?!”

“Stop _doing_ that!”

Namizo grumbled, walking over to the edge of the balcony and carelessly dropping the swords onto a tree, ignoring Sora’s strangled protest. “You’re going to stay here, since if you go wandering off you’ll just get lost.”

Sora ignored him, pushing him to the side and reaching for the swords. Her fingers only brushed the handles, causing them to slip further. Desperately she leaped over the edge of the railing, clinging to the balcony as she stretched for her weapons.

“I’m going to go get the others. I’ll come back for you later. _Stay_ here,” Namizo warned, walking out. He closed the door behind him, hoping that would be enough to deter the swordsman from walking off again.

Sora completely ignored his departure, still desperately scrambling to get her swords back. “Stupid… idiotic… money-hungry… can’t he get that a swordsman needs her swords?” she muttered, straining her fingers.

She hit the handle of Yubashiri, causing all three swords to rock, before they began to slide down the wall.

“No!”

Sora let go of the railing, starting to run. The cliff face was too steep for her to stop even if she wanted to, but if she kept her speed up she was able to stay upright. Frantically she snatched at her swords, missing them by a hair.

Only instinct made her look up before hitting the water. Instantly realising she wouldn’t grab the swords before she touched the lake – and even if she did, they wouldn’t help – she contorted her body into a dive, minimising the surface area of the water she would hit.

The water stung as she sunk in, but despite not having full lungs Sora didn’t risk returning to the surface. She kicked frantically, stroking desperately in order to grab her sinking swords.

It was with no small relief that her fingers curled around Wadou, but she wasn’t done yet. Hurriedly she stretched for Yubashiri, before finally grabbing Kietsu.

Sora took a moment to bask in the relief of all three of her swords in her hands, but her lungs were starting to strain. Vaguely, she reflected that she was glad to be wearing a sports bra and not a binder, before turning a kicking upwards.

Green hair broke the surface and Sora took a grateful gulp of the air, swords clutched securely in her fingers.

_Click. Click. Click. Click. Click._

At least seventy guns were pointed at her, each one belonging to a marine in one of the dozen boats surrounding her.

“Welcome to Navarone, Mr Roronoa,” a male voice said cheerfully. One of the boats pushed to the front. Unlike the others, this was almost empty with only two occupants. One of them, a red-haired man with a moustache, was smiling at her as he talked. “My name is Commander Jonathon, and you are under arrest.”

Sora growled.

Jonathon didn’t react, other than to continue smiling pleasantly. “As you can see, we have you surrounded. Please, surrender your swords to the boat next to you.”

Sora flinched, her eye twitching at the suggestion.

The marine commander made a dismissive gesture. “I promise you we’d take good care of them, if that’s what you’re worried about. Also, I have to point out that you don’t have much choice in the matter.”

He was right. Loathing every minute, Sora reluctantly held her three swords into the air, still treading water.

A marine nervously took the swords, placing them carefully down in the bottom of her boat. The obvious respect the woman took was reassuring, but Sora was hardly mollified.

“Now, if you don’t mind, put your hands in the air,” Jonathon said conversationally, holding a pair of handcuffs.

If looks could kill Sora would have decimated the marines without use of her swords. However, she grudgingly held her wrists together above her head, kicking furiously to keep herself afloat as Jonathon cuffed her.

She didn’t resist as Commander Jonathon and his subordinate in his boat each grabbed her by the arm and forcibly pulled her into the small boat. The subordinate shoved her into the spare bench as every gun followed her movements.

“Please, make yourself comfortable, Mr Roronoa,” Jonathon told her. “Or do you prefer ‘Zoro’?”

“I prefer ‘Sora’, actually,” Sora grumbled. “And it’s ‘ _Miss_ Roronoa’.”

She might have been happy to let the mistake pass, but it was more entertaining to watch the startled looks the marines exchanged. After all, she doubted she was going to get a chance for entertainment for a while.

 “Very well, then, Sora,” Commander Jonathon told her simply. His moustache was twitching, as if he found his own mistake slightly amusing.

He gestured to his men, and the boats began to move off. Despite several of the marines having to put down their weapons to row, most guns remained trained on Sora.

There probably wasn’t going to be much of a chance for an escape, which meant that Sora would have to wait for someone to come rescue her, which she hated. Sora sighed, slumping slightly in the chair with her arms still bound in front of her and contemplated taking a nap.

**_ X _ **

“Luffi!” Sanae hissed, keeping her voice as low as possible so as to not alert the marine. “ _Luffi!_ ”

“Huh?” Luffi glanced away from the marine she was following into the main facility. For a moment she looked around blankly, before spotting Sanae crouching on the roof beams.

To Sanae’s relief, the captain didn’t call out. Instead, an arm stretched up next to the cook, rocketing Luffi up with surprising quiet. “Hey, Sanae! Whatcha doing?”

“Shut up,” Sanae hissed, grabbing Luffi’s cheek. As always, the cheek stretched alarmingly far, which always made Sanae feel a little uneasy. “Don’t let them notice us.”

“Okay,” Luffi said, her voice muffled by the stretched cheek. Sanae released her face and it snapped back. “Hey, why don’t we try going in there, then?”

“Where?”

Luffi pointed at a nearby vent. Sanae considered, and then nodded. “Good idea.”

Balancing on the thick beams was easy. Sanae could have cartwheeled to the vent without falling off, but the kept slow to avoid footsteps. Luffi was less sure of her steps, but didn’t fall.

They reached the grate. Sanae rattled it quietly with one hand, testing if she could kick it in without making a racket. Luffi pushed her aside and tugged at the grate, pulling it open with a cringe-worthy _crack_.

Before any of the marines glanced up, Sanae dragged Luffi into the vent, pulling the grate closed behind them. After being torn off, it didn’t fit perfectly, but as long as no-one looked carefully it should last.

“Keep moving,” Sanae hissed. “I don’t know how long it’ll be until they find us.”

“Hmm? Okay,” Luffi agreed, crawling forwards, the low ceiling scraping her hat off her head and around her neck.

The two pirates moved in silence for a while. A couple of times Luffi started to talk, but Sanae’s angry hiss always shut her down.

Luffi climbed over another grate, this one leading down. Sanae stopped at it, glancing down. She watched several white-uniforms with blue neckties run underneath them.

“Dammit. I think I know where we are.”

“You do?” Luffi asked, turning back.

“I’ve heard of it. Navarone. It’s an invincible navy fortress,” Sanae muttered. “Getting out of here should be tricky. What’s our next move, captain?”

“I dunno.” Unconcerned, Luffi peered down the grate too. “Hey, how about we find the kitchen? I’m hungry.”

“Are you ever _not_ hungry?” Sanae asked incredulously.

Luffi shrugged, and then abruptly pulled off the grate. Throwing it to the side of the vent, she leapt down through the hole.

“No!” Sanae grabbed her leg.

On anyone else, it would have successfully made them dangle in mid-air. On Luffi, it meant that when she hit the ground her leg stayed in the vent, stretching. Luckily, the marines had all disappeared.

“What are you doing?” Luffi moaned, glaring at the cook.

“Wait for it, would you?!”

“But my belly needs meat now!” With a sharp pull Luffi yanked her foot down. Sanae came tumbling with it, landing gracelessly on the captain’s back.

Luffi grumbled, before starting to drag herself forwards despite the older girl sitting on her. “Meeeaaattt…”

“You just don’t give up, do you?” Sanae groaned.

“Who’s there?” a loud male voice shouted as running footsteps caught their attention.

In a heartbeat Sanae had leapt to her feet, flung open the nearest door and dragged Luffi inside, shutting the door just in time as the marines arrived in the corridor. Covering Luffi’s mouth with her hand, Sanae pressed an ear to the door, pulling back the long curtain of hair to better listen.

“There’s nothing there,” one of the marines outside stated.

“We’re probably just on edge since that ship turned up. Come on, let’s get something to eat.”

Sanae waited until the footsteps had retreated before letting Luffi go, glaring at the black-haired girl. “You almost got us caught!” she hissed.

“Sorry.”

Sanae sighed, and glanced around the room they were in.

Her eyes widened when she saw several uniforms hanging up. “Perfect!”

In an instant she had scrambled off Luffi, rummaging through the marine outfits until she found a female one vaguely in her size, pulling it on over the top of her blue blouse. She was pleased to note that they seemed to be chef’s uniforms; the apron was almost comfortingly familiar.

“Put this on.” She threw another at Luffi. “We can blend in.”

“In the kitchen?” Luffi’s eyes lit up.

Sanae sighed. “Yes, Luffi, in the kitchen.”

“Cool!” Luffi eagerly put on the disguise, wearing it over her current clothes. It hung a little loose on her and was a little tight in the chest, but Sanae figured that no-one would notice.

“Uh… Sanae?” Luffi looked at the necktie blankly. “How do I-”

“Here.” Sanae neatly wrapped the tie around her captain’s neck, tightening it to be secure and knotting it properly. She then picked up a chef’s hat and threw it at her. “Put this on.”

“But what about my hat?” Luffi protested.

“It’ll fit over the top,” Sanae assured her, adjusting her own white toque.

Now _that_ brought back memories. Sanae had never really liked the chef’s hats. There wasn’t any reason for it; they just never felt right. She knew she was a good cook and had never felt the need to prove it with an obvious symbol. Still, that didn’t change the fact that on the day she’d been officially ‘appointed’ assistant head-chef (the crap-geezer had woken her up at the crack of dawn to tell her that the previous one had just bailed and grudgingly admitted that she had been there longest, leaving her to work out how those two facts had correlated) she had been ‘presented’ a toque (during the aforementioned ‘appointment’ Zeff had carelessly tossed a hat at her). She still had it, tucked away with her possessions on the ship.

With the two of them dressed, they slipped out of the storage room and headed towards the kitchen. It was almost exactly right next door, which would explain why there were only chef’s uniforms in the closet.

“This is going to be interesting…” Sanae muttered, opening the door to the kitchen a crack. She could see at least two dozen men and women in similar uniforms to her, going through the different motions of cooking – grating, cutting, stirring, seasoning – that she had done so often herself. “Okay, we’ll just slip in and act natural-”

Someone put a steak in a frypan, the sauces sizzling.

“Meat!” Luffi’s eyes widened. Before Sanae could stop her she burst into the kitchen, the door swinging shut behind the two of them.

All eyes turned to stare at the two disguised pirates. Sanae’s hand slapped to her forehead as Luffi almost started drooling at the food.

“That sure looks tasty…” Luffi said longingly, her eyes focused on the food.

Sanae sighed. Deciding that she might as well ride this disaster out until it inevitably crashed, she stepped forwards. “Hi. We’re the new cooks. Did you hear we were coming?”

“Yes,” one of the cooks said sullenly.

“So that’s the Murrays, huh?” another muttered to her neighbour.

“At least they’re already in the right uniform,” another grumbled. “I expected them to be all dressed up in the fancy-smancy Marie Jois clothes.”

“Doesn’t make up for those stupid comments they wrote to us.”

Sanae fought to keep her face neutral. Could they really be lucky enough that there actually were new cooks expected? “I hope we don’t disappoint, then,” she said cautiously, trying desperately not to let on her lack of knowledge about who they were supposed to be.

“Hi! Nice to meet you!” Luffi said brightly.

“I heard that you said you were doing us a favour by coming to our, what was it?” One of the cooks slammed a bowl of salad down on the table with unnecessary force as he glared at the pirates. “Our little ‘run-down crap fortress in the middle of nowhere’.”

“And you said that we could only create ‘insignificant meals’,” another snapped angrily.

“You’ve sure got a lot of nerve.”

“Uh…” Sanae faltered. Contradicting it would be downright stupid and give away their cover, but on the other hand confirming it would only make the situation uglier. She was sure Luffi and herself could easily win if it came to blows, but they were in the middle of a marine fortress and a fight would not be a good idea. “Well…”

“Look, I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about,” Luffi snapped, folding her arms and glaring at the cooks. “All I know is: I can smell meat and I’m _hungry_!”

“So you’re here.” The woman’s voice was smooth and confident, and incredibly authoritative. “The famous Murray brothers from Marie Jois. The kitchen-snobs who made million berry meals every night for all the big shots.”

The crowd of cooks parted, showing the back of a woman who was expertly frying patties in a frypan. Luffi gawked at the sight of the meat bubbling in the pan.

“I don’t care that headquarters sent you,” the woman declared, turning around. Her wrists easily took the strain of the heavy frypans, her eyes cold as she observed the two pirates. “This is Navarone, and you are now in the central heart of it: the kitchen. And if I don’t approve of you, I will _not_ allow you to remain in my kitchen.”

Sanae raised a swirled eyebrow, although the effect was lost with only one visible.

“Yeah, you tell ‘em Jessica!” one of the other girls in the kitchen cheered, prompting a round of approving yells from the other cooks.

“There are no less than one thousand marines stationed in this fortress,” ‘Jessica’ continued, walking forwards. She flipped the patties into the air, expertly catching them in the frypans again. “And we show our respect to each and every one of them by preparing their meals with all our might.” The presumed head chef handed her frypans to her subordinates and continued towards Sanae and Luffi. “In order to achieve this great feat, we work night and day without losing focus for even an instant. We’re not like cooks like _you_ , who rely on expensive ingredients. We rely on skill.”

Luffi had started to drool as those who accepted the frypans rushed to put patties them on prepared plates, finishing off the simple yet elegant meals. Sanae, however, never took her eyes off the older blonde woman.

“Around here we never forget that only true cooks can cook from the heart,” Jessica finished, to applause from the other marine cooks.

“So,” Sanae said flatly, reaching into her pocket. She pulled out a cigarette and her lighter. “In other words, you presume to tell me how to cook?” She lit the cigarette and exhaled smoke, replacing her lighter. “Suggesting that I _don’t_ know?”

“I wouldn’t presume to say anything as dramatic as that,” Jessica countered, hands on her hips. “I just want you and your… sister to show us that pride and skill you were so boastful about.”

“Is that a challenge?” Sanae asked her coolly.

The tips of Jessica’s lips pulled up slightly, but her eyes remained cold. “Think of it more as an audition. If you don’t satisfy me, you will never call yourself a cook of Navarone.”

“Sounds interesting,” Sanae said, rolling the cigarette between her fingers. She smiled. “It’s your kitchen. Dictate the terms of this audition.”

“Any ingredients you like,” Jessica said, giving a sharp look to the other cooks. They rushed off, instantly grabbing various foodstuffs and placing them on tables in plain view. “You must create enough food to satisfy one hundred men. The current Navarone cooks shall be doing the same. The soldiers who eat it will decide the winners.”

Giggling, Luffi started to poke a large fish until Sanae caught her by the wrist. “I have no idea what’s going on but it’s exciting!”

Sanae met Jessica’s eyes and smiled, fingering several knives. “I’m ready when you are.”

Jessica met her smile with her own.

A woman got to her feet and whistled. At the signal, the Navarone cooks started to work frantically, collecting the ingredients they needed and discussing the recipes.

“Sanae? Aren’t you going to-” Luffi began.

“Shush.” Sanae held up a hand. “Let me see what they can do first.”

“We can’t lose this battle,” a man said forcefully, beginning to cut up a tuna. “Cook as if your lives depend on it!”

“The pride of the Navarone cooks is at stake,” the woman next to him agreed, frantically washing vegetables.

“We’ll cook using only the best of our ingredients!” another cook declared.

Sanae’s expression darkened, but Luffi was the only one looking. The blonde pirate didn’t move at all as she watched the marine cooks.

“Finished!” a woman finally called, wiping her forehead with an arm.

“One hundred servings,” another cook said triumphantly, gesturing to the long table.

“That looks so good…” Luffi swooned, reaching out.

Jessica slapped her hand away violently. “Don’t touch!”

“We normally cook for a thousand at a time,” a man boasted, his eyes gleaming with perceived victory. “A mere hundred is nothing to us.”

“And we’re faster than sharks that smell blood.”

“That is the essence of a Navarone cook.”

Sanae took a long look at the table of food, and blew out a breath of air. She dropped her cigarette onto the floor and ground it with her dress shoe before walking to the counter on which they’d prepared the meals. For a long moment she glared at the parts left unused. “This is quite simply _wasteful_.”

“What’s she doing?” a chef asked quietly, glancing at her comrades.

“I dunno.”

Sanae picked up two clean knives and dragged the carcass of the tuna over towards her. Then, in neat and fast strokes, began to mince.

“She can’t be-” Jessica began, her eyes wide.

“No way,” another chef gasped.

“She’s… using our leftovers!”

“Pulverise the tuna’s bones and head,” Sanae declared abruptly, pushing the fish paste into a mortar and picking up a pestle.  “Next, mix in the guts. Begin to knead it into balls with vegetable scraps.”

The cooks were all staring at her open mouthed as she dropped the pasted balls into a pot.

“Then they’re to be deep fried,” Sanae continued without glancing at her audience. “Stew the fat from the meat until it becomes soft and tender.” She dipped a tasting spoon into her concoction, looking satisfied after it touched her lips. “That compliments the sauce made from shellfish.”

She couldn’t resist the urge to show off just a little, twirling the spoons in her fingers as she continued to address the cooks. “The tuna’s guts are bitter, which wets the appetite. A powerful flavour can bring new energy and revitalise a tired body.”

Spinning around, she collected the potato and burdock scraps that had been carelessly left in a bowl. “For the vegetables, keep in mind that the skins of potatoes and burdock roots carry more nutrients than the insides, which makes them ideal vitamin sources.” She cut them so thinly they were almost a powder, then started to fit them into the plates that had been left out for her to use.

Grabbing the fish balls, she arranged them perfectly on the remainder of the plates. Then she turned back to the counter for the leftovers. “Finally, as an added dose of greenery, crushed broccoli stems can create a soft, sweet-scented dressing.”

In moments she had the dressing ready in a gravy pitcher, drizzling it delicately over her prepared dish.

“ _Voila_!” Sanae cried, spreading her arms out. “Cuisine a la carte!”

The cooks were staring at her. Sanae wasn’t sure if they were impressed or defeated, but either was an outcome she was hoping for.

Sanae carelessly tossed her hair over her shoulder, glancing at the marines crowding the windows. “Please come in. You’re the judges, after all.”

Apparently they’d been waiting for the invitation. The watching soldiers crowded into the kitchen. To Sanae’s satisfaction, every one of the Navarone marines went straight for her dishes.

Pulling out a new cigarette, Sanae turned to face Jessica, who’s face showed nothing but resignation. “This is a battlefield, correct?” the younger chef challenged. “That makes it important the food tastes good. However, no matter what the situation is, making supplies last is the real priority. The price of the ingredients isn’t the issue. You should never waste one single crumb of food.”

She lit her cigarette, staring at the other cooks as if daring one of them to defy her. “As cooks, it is our sworn duty to use every ingredient in order to give every meal our all, to give it as much love and etiquette as we would to a true love. A wise old geezer taught me that.”

“Urgh!” One of the cooks pounded a fist into his hand in frustration. “How stupid of us! We tried to impress a fancy cook by only using the prime ingredients and she turned around and beat us by using working-class cuisine!”

“The food in Navarone is not for the high-class officials,” another man agreed, hanging his head in shame. “It’s for the working class man, the common soldier. That was Jessica’s motto, and yet we failed it.”

“To think that we, the cooks at Navarone, were picky about food,” a cook whispered, tears almost brimming in her eyes. “It’s disgraceful!”

“Eighty six, eighty seven, eighty eight, eighty nine,” Luffi’s voice counted.

Every cook in the kitchen, including Sanae, turned to look at the black-haired girl. Apparently when no-one was looking, Luffi had taken the entire table of Navarone offerings and had already eaten through quite a bit. She opened her mouth, dropping the food in and leaving the empty plate on a rapidly growing pile.

“Ninety! Ninety one, ninety two, ninety three, ninety four,” Luffi continued, unaware of the blank stares she was getting. Her rubber stomach had expanded significantly, becoming somewhat round.

Sanae sighed and took another breath of her cigarette, wondering why she wasn’t surprised.

“That’s incredible!” one of the chefs gasped.

“Where does she even put it all?”

 “Have you ever seen someone with such an insatiable appetite for our cooking?”

Sanae guessed she couldn’t blame them for being impressed and a little flattered. She could remember feeling the same way when she’d first joined the crew, along with a little disgust and a drop of fear that they’d run low on supplies. For that matter, no matter how long it had been, Luffi’s beaming smile and declaration that whatever meal Sanae had cooked had been the best thing she’d ever eaten never failed to make her heart lighten.

“Ninety eight, ninety nine… one hundred!” Luffi triumphantly dropped the final plate on the pile and patted her swollen belly.  “Yuummmy! That was delicious! Man, I’m _stuffed_! Whoo!”

“Time to go.” Sanae stepped closer to her captain.

“Yeah, alright.” Luffi got to her feet awkwardly under her new weight. “I guess we’re done here. Thanks for all the food!”

 Luffi and Sanae calmly began to walk out, neither glancing behind them.

“Wait,” Jessica’s voice rang out.

Both paused, turning around. “Did you find something more for me to eat?” Luffi asked eagerly.

Jessica took a deep breath. “Were you planning on leaving me humiliated like this?” she demanded. A smile began to cross the older woman’s face. “I won’t stand for it. I like your cooking and your appetite. Starting today, I declare the two of you official Navarone cooks!”

The other Navarone cooks cheered, apparently taking their defeat as a chance to learn instead of bitterness.

Sanae felt a smile freeze on her face. She wasn’t quite sure what she had expected to happen after acing the audition, but she hadn’t expected this result.

Somehow, it had never occurred to her that she might accidentally become a marine cook, let alone that Luffi would too.

“Great,” Sanae said through her frozen smile. “Thank you. Just what I wanted. It’s an honour.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is welcomed, or just a quick comment to say if you're enjoying it or not.


	24. “Why Don’t You Give Me Back My Swords And You Can Decide For Yourself Just How Dangerous I Am?”

**Chapter Twenty-Four:** **“Why don’t you give me back my swords and you can decide for yourself just how dangerous I am?”**

Sora had no idea how long she’d been prisoner for. The prison cell they’d put her in had no way of telling the time, and it was hard to keep track after falling asleep.

Blearily looking around the cell, she flexed her fingers. The shackles they’d put on her in the prison were even more secure, big wooden blocks that locked her hands behind her back.

Vaguely, she could sense her swords to the left of her. They seemed to be locked in their own separate cell, which was surprisingly flattering. Kietsu’s bloodlust was mild for the cursed sword, but Sora could still feel that it was getting eager for a fight.

In front of her, Sora could see at least a dozen nervous marines. The two main conversations among her guards seemed to be discussing her terrifying reputation, and the fact that she was clearly more feminine than expected. When they realised she was awake, however, all conversation cut off. The marines stood stiff-backed and stared at her, fully alert.

“Open the cell!” someone demanded, a male voice flooded with authority.

The marines turned to look at the new arrival, surprised. “But, Lieutenant Commander Drake,” one of them began to protest, “The prisoner is _extremely_ dangerous.”

“I am under direct orders from Vice-Admiral Jonathon to interrogate the prisoner,” ‘Lieutenant Commander Drake’ insisted, stopping outside the bars. Sora watched him dully as he entered her view.

“Yes, sir!”

The door opened. Sora briefly considered making a lunge for the exit, but disarmed, handcuffed, and outnumbered were not encouraging odds.

Lieutenant Commander Drake walked into the cell, glaring at her. “So.”

Sora looked at him, waiting for him to finish.

“Are you the famous Roronoa Zoro?” he asked finally, his eyes narrowing.

“I told you before that my name’s Sora.”

Drake nodded, crouching down to get a better look at the captured pirate. “So I heard. But that doesn’t answer if you are the pirate with the bounty of sixty million.”

“As it happens, yes I am,” Sora said sharply, glaring at him.

“And yet your reputation describes you as a man.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“Which leads to the question of are you as dangerous as the legends say?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Sora asked defensively, pricked. It was one thing to doubt her reputation – hell, she knew at least half the rumours about her abilities were entirely false and probably not physically possible – but it was another thing to doubt that a girl could have the same.

“Well, it’s clear that at least _one_ aspect of your reputation is false,” Drake pointed out.

Sora met his gaze. “Why don’t you give me back my swords and you can decide for yourself just how dangerous I am?”

“Not a chance,” Drake snapped. “But, if your reputation is even mostly correct, you earned your fame far and wide as a bounty hunter. That was until you joined the scum you used to hunt.”

Sora grimaced. “You know, I already knew that I was a girl, and that I used to be a pirate hunter. Anything else you want to tell me?”

 “If that’s how you want to play it, then I’ll get straight to the point!” Drake snarled violently. “How many of you are there on your crew?! What’s your business in Navarone?! It was a clever strategy to invade from the sky, but how did you do it?! Did you build a launch pad?!”

Sora listened to his questions, and then shrugged the best she could with her arms shackled behind her. “No. We just came down from the sky. To be specific, we rode down on a giant octopus.”

Judging by his expression, Sora got the impression that Drake didn’t believe her. “Don’t mock me,” he snarled.

“I’m not mocking you, big guy,” Sora said dully, closing her eyes. “I’m just answering your question.”

“I won’t accept any more of your lies!”

“We rode down from an island in the sky using an octopus as a balloon,” Sora clarified emotionlessly. “Happy?”

Drake growled, cracking his knuckles. “I can see we’re going to have to do this the hard way.”

“Do what you want. The answer isn’t going to change,” Sora said flatly.

The pirate didn’t flinch as the marine officer punched her. It was a solid punch, and Drake was lucky enough to hit a spot on her ribs that was still bruised from some battle or another. The next blow caught her in the shoulder, jarring an injury she hadn’t been aware she had.

“Please tell me you’re not going easy on me because I’m a girl. That’s just insulting,” Sora grumbled.

“Actually, it’s because I’m just getting warmed up.” Drake put his fists against the side of her head, starting to press together. It wasn’t a blow designed to permanently injure or even concuss, but it very quickly became painful. “You’re going to be sorry! I’ll find out the truth no matter what!”

Sora wished the others would hurry up, gritting her teeth from the pain.

**_ X _ **

“And I… I have to clean this all by myself?” Namizo asked weakly, the mop hanging limply in his hands. He was really beginning to regret his choice of disguise as a janitor.

“That’s right,” the cleaning supervisor said with a triumphant grin. Thankfully, he hadn’t noticed that Namizo was not one of his cleaners, but he’d also given the pirate a job. A downright impossible job, judging from the size of the disused and filthy gym he was expected to clean. “I wanna see it sparkle by the time you’re done!”

Namizo looked at him, forcing his face into a smile. “Yes, sir!”

The manager chuckled nastily, turning around. “I’d hate to be in your shoes right now!” he announced, leaving Namizo to his cleaning.

The moment he was out of sight, Namizo dropped his mop. “That’s not going to happen. I need a new disguise.”

It took him five minutes to find a new storage closet, but the time seemed to drag out. Every time he heard footsteps he’d have to fight the urge to jump, but the supervisor never turned up. The marines that he passed completely ignored him, which was something for the disguise, at least.

Finally, he found one. Slipping inside, he turned on the lights and started digging through the clothes.

What he found was a huge pile of pink dresses. They looked like nursing outfits, judging by the symbols.

Namizo rummaged through the closet, but couldn’t find anything male. He picked up one of the dresses hesitantly.

It wasn’t like he would refuse to wear a dress. Honestly, a dress was just a tube of fabric and he’d gladly try it on to get out of cleaning that dishevelled scrap heap. Still, whatever the tolerance level of Navarone was, he’d almost surely draw attention. Even if they had a cross-dressing nurse that everyone would recognise, the chances that Namizo looked like him was abysmal. For a moment, he considered going the full hog and trying to pass himself off as a girl entirely, but dismissed it since he didn’t have nearly enough to work with.

With a sigh, he reluctantly picked up a broom from the side of the cupboard. Pretending to be a nurse looked so much more appealing, but anything was better than getting caught as a pirate in a marine base.

The fortress may have been built like a maze, but although he couldn’t figure out any logical pattern to this one, no maze could stump Namizo. It took him less than a minute to retrace his steps back to the old gym.

He’d just to a hasty job and cut all the corners he could. Once he finished, he could go back to mopping the halls as he listened out for where his crewmates could be. Vaguely he wondered what the chances were that Sora would stay on the balcony for long enough for him to get back to her. The idiot swordsman had probably already wandered off again.

Gritting his teeth, Namizo threw himself forward into the cleaning.

**_ X _ **

“Did you hear? We’ve already caught one of the Straw Hat pirates.”

“No kidding! Which one?”

“Well, there’s actually a bit of debate about that,” the first marine said to his partner with a shrug. “See… it looks like it might be Roronoa Zoro, but the thing is she’s a girl.”

“…What? You mean like Roronoa’s got a sister or something?”

 “That’s the thing. Ako in the sniper unit said that he heard Roronoa was actually always a girl, but everyone just thought she was a guy.”

“You reckon it’s true?” the female marine asked as the two walked along the halls.

“I don’t know. But we do know that there are seven members of the Straw Hat crew, and that Pirate Hunter Zoro was one of them. If we catch the guy one, then the girl’s his sister or something. If we catch the other six and Roronoa Zoro isn’t one of them, then that means the girl was the real thing.”

The second marine grinned at her teammate. “Hey, can you imagine if we were the ones who caught him?”

“Or just _any_ of the Straw Hats,” the first agreed, laughing. “We’d be heroes!”

Neither of the two marines noticed the small tremor of the stacked barrels as they left. The moment their footsteps faded away, Choppa poked her head out nervously.

“Oh, no!” she whimpered. “Zoro – I mean Sora – got caught! This is terrible!”

The reindeer climbed out onto the ground cautiously, trying desperately not to let her hooves click on the ground. “What do I do now?” she asked aloud, clutching her hat. “I don’t know what to do!”

She took a deep breath, carefully letting go. “This is no time to panic,” she told herself firmly, her voice wavering slightly. “Those marines didn’t mention anyone else getting captured, so the others have to be around here somewhere. So I just have to find them, and then we can rescue Sora and get out of-”

“Hey, what’s that?”

Choppa froze, trembling. Nervously she looked around to see several marines staring at her.

“A raccoon-dog?”

“Maybe we can cook it.”

“Hey, someone catch it!”

Choppa let out a shrill shriek of fear, turning around and fleeing. The marines followed her, sprinting and shouting not to let her get away.

Desperately, Choppa took a corner at random, nearly sobbing in fear. She wished the marines would get lost already, but they were close on her heels as she picked another corner and fled.

Skidding to a stop, Choppa stared up at the locked gate in horror. “A dead end!”

“It went that way!”

“Looks like the racoon-dog is cornered!”

Choppa felt a little light-headed. Desperately she pushed at the door, switching to Heavy Point. The lock popped off and she flung open the door, hurriedly pushing it shut behind her.

The reindeer switched back to Brain Point, her smallest form as she searched for a place to hide. The room was filled with crates and boxes.

One of the crates had an antler poking out of it. For a moment that drew her attention, making her wonder if someone was being held in it. She scrambled over and opened the box, and blinked in surprise to see it was filled with antlers.

The door began to open. Choppa leapt into the crate, burying herself under the antlers and trembling.

Reindeer shed their antlers every year. Apart from the fact they were digging into her back, hiding amongst the racks of antlers wasn’t particularly uncomfortable for a doctor with a pair of her own. It was for an entirely different reason that her breath hitched when the lid of the crate was opened.

For a long moment she sat frozen, half covered by antlers as a marine peered into the crate. And then, to her incredible relief, he dropped the lid again. “Just a bunch of antlers.”

“What? You mean the racoon-dog left its antlers behind?” one of his friends asked.

“For that matter, do racoon-dogs even _have_ antlers?” a third asked.

“Of course they do, you saw that one.”

“Well, whatever. You can’t cook antlers. Let’s get back to our patrol.”

Choppa sighed in relief as the door shut again. She was still a little offended from the accusation of being a racoon-dog, but not offended enough that she wanted to go after them and correct them that _no_ , racoon-dogs did not have antlers and the fact that she did meant she was a reindeer.

The door creaked open again. Choppa froze once more as new voices echoed around the room. “Hey, where’s the crate we’re after?”

“Just there.”

To Choppa’s utmost horror, someone picked up the lid of the crate she was in and placed it back on, before dropping the entire crate into a trolley. The crate began to rock as it was wheeled away.

“What do the doctors need antlers for, anyway?”

“I think they’re used in medicines.”

After a few more minutes of jolting, the crate came to a halt. Choppa sat still until she was certain the marines had left, before carefully poking her head out of the box.

Standing in front of her was a skeleton.

She let out a squeal of fear and ducked back down, trembling.

The doors burst open. Inside her crate, Choppa whimpered, trying to bury herself amongst the antlers again.

“Doctor! Doctor, it’s an emergency!”

Choppa’s trembling stopped. Cautiously she pressed an ear to the side of the box, listening.

“I… I see,” a woman’s voice stuttered nervously. “And wh-what kind of e-emergency is it?”

“Injured sailors have been unloaded! We need you in the infirmary, stat!”

“B-b-but,” the woman protested fearfully. “It’s not really my area of expertise-”

“ _Not your area of expertise?!_ ” her companion demanded incredulously. “You’re the only doctor on the base at the moment, so we need you!”

“But I’m just a paediatrician, I don’t do trauma!” the doctor protested, her voice overlayed by what sounded like her feet scrabbling for purchase as she was dragged out.

The moment the door opened again, Choppa peered out. “I’m in a medical room?” she asked quietly, crawling out of the crate. She glanced at the skeleton, held on display as an indication of the human body. That was a relief, at least, but the conversation she had heard still made her uneasy. “I wonder if that doctor can handle those patients…?”

She slipped out of the room, carefully moving into the infirmary.

There were at least twenty injured men and women, lying gasping on hospital beds. Nurses were scrambling around and bandaging them up. A woman wearing a doctor’s coat was standing shyly in the corner.

“Doctor, should we prep the OR?” a nurse asked her.

“Prep the operating… oh…” the woman said weakly. “Oh… right… I’ll have to operate…”

Suddenly she collapsed to the ground. Behind her glasses, her eyes had rolled back.

Choppa pulled herself back behind the screen. “I have to help!”

Shifting into her human form of Heavy Point, she picked up a doctor’s coat hanging on a coat rack and buttoning it over her sundress working as a shirt, putting on a stethoscope on top. Then, as an added disguise, picked up a pair of sunglasses someone had left on a desk, before slipping her human-ish feet into a pair of shoes that were a size too small.

_Confidence,_ Choppa thought to herself. _I need to be **confident** and then they won’t question me. These people are all relying on me. I have to do this. _ “I’ll be directing the treatment today,” she announced, walking into the room.

The nurses stopped to stare at her.

Choppa very deliberately ignored them, looking at the injured marine on the bed she had stopped by. “First, give this patient a dose of both phenicol and cardiotonic. Then prepare some tialcillin.”

The nurses still stared at her blankly. Choppa scowled, furiously turning to face them and gesturing at the injured patients. “What are you waiting for? Respond if you understand!”

“Yes, doctor,” the nurses said in unison, hurriedly rushing off.

Choppa nodded in satisfaction, continuing along the aisle. The nurses not currently at work followed her, waiting for the doctor’s orders. “Cross match every patient’s blood type.” Several scurried off. “Begin pre-op treatment for everyone who will be requiring an operation.”

The reindeer glanced in on one of the beds. “This patient needs a tetanus toxoid and five milligrams of morphine!”

“Right!” Another nurse split off to complete the orders.

“What’s the status of the OR?”

“Ready, doctor!”

“Then bring the patients in, beginning with those in critical condition!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Choppa watched in satisfaction as the critically injured patients were wheeled off. The nurses had apparently decided to accept the unexpected appearance of a new doctor with the knowledge that they needed one.

That left her to deal with the one the marines were supposed to have. Choppa knelt next to where the woman had been left on a chair, checking her vital signs. She quickly determined that there was no physical reason for her to faint, which meant that she probably just hated blood. “Come on, doctor, snap out of it!”

“Hmm…?” The woman’s eyes flickered open.

“Are you alright?” Choppa asked.

“I… I think so.” The woman looked around in confusion. “Where is everyone?” She paused and looked at Choppa, before breaking out into a relieved smile. “You’re a doctor? Oh, thank you! I don’t know where you came from but you sure saved us!”

“No-one’s safe yet, doctor,” Choppa reminded her.

The woman’s face fell. “What?” she asked weakly.

“There is a huge number of soldiers whose lives are in danger if you don’t operate!”

“O-o-operate…” the woman repeated woozily, before sinking off the chair and to her knees.

Choppa knelt down. “What’s the matter?”

“I – I can’t!” the doctor protested. “I can’t stand seeing people in pain… and I faint at the sight of blood… I can barely administer a shot, let alone to cut someone or put in stitches – I just can’t do it!”

“But you must have done surgery before!” Choppa protested. “You’re a doctor in a marine base!”

“I’m… I’m a paediatrician,” the woman said weakly. “I’m here temporarily to be nearer to my father while he’s ill. I’m only in charge here as a substitute while all the other doctors are away on business.”

“Substitute or not, you’re in charge of the Medical Room now, aren’t you?!” Choppa demanded. “There are marines counting on you to save their lives!”

“Well… yes…”

“You’re a doctor! It’s your duty to preserve life!” Choppa said insistently.

“I’m sworn to, but I have limits,” the woman said faintly. “Even the best doctors have things that they just can’t-”

“What’s your name, doctor?” Choppa interrupted.

The woman stared up at her in surprise. “My… my name? It’s Kobato.”

“Well, Doctor Kobato, the man who taught me medicine used to tell me a story.” Choppa sat down to be closer to the other doctor’s level without shapeshifting. “He told me that there was a man who was told by his doctors that he had a fatal disease with no cure. He wandered the world, despairing as he searched for a place to die. But one day, he was passing over a mountain when he saw something extraordinary. He saw vivid cherry blossoms blooming all over the mountain, brighter than anything else in the world. After seeing this, he went to his physicians again, who said that he was cured. That means that anything can be cured, but in situations like this, you have to try. Doctor Kobato, you’re the only hope for the men in the operating room right now. There is no such thing as a patient that can’t be cured!”

 Kobato’s eyes widened.

“Doctors have the power to make miracles happen!” Choppa insisted.

There was a long moment of silence. Finally, Kobato took a deep breath. “Doctor? Will – will I be able to see the cherry blossoms too, one day? Or… or can I show them to people who are suffering?”

“Yes, you can!” Choppa said immediately, getting to her feet. “I’ll even stick around to help you!”

“Oh, thank you!” Kobato gasped as she got to her feet. She still looked pale, but was standing with her head held high.

A nurse walked in. “Doctors, the operating room is prepped and ready to go.”

“Good,” Choppa nodded, giving a look at Kobato.

Kobato swallowed, and then nodded. “Let’s go.”

Both doctors walked towards the operating room, several nurses following behind. The nurses didn’t look surprised by the situation, only relieved.

All of the medical staff, pirate and military alike, pulled on their operating coats, masks, and gloves. Then they determinedly walked to the surgery.

**_ X _ **

The onion shredded easily as the knife expertly cut through.

“This is the middle of a marine base,” Sanae muttered furiously, placing the diced onion into a bowl and picking up a new one. “We shouldn’t be wasting our time here.”

She sighed as she moved the knife faster than lightning, stopping just short of her fingers. “But then again, if I stay where I am it’s probably easier for my sweet Namizo and Roben to come rescue me.”

“Hey, hey, Sanae, look at this!” Luffi said delightedly, poking the new device she had found. “Have you seen how awesome this thing is? What do you reckon it’s called?”

“It’s called an oven, and yes I have seen how awesome it is,” Sanae grumbled. She considered making Luffi help her dice the onions, but it almost physically pained her to watch the captain struggle to work out how to cut properly.

“Hey, Sanae?” Luffi asked curiously.

“ _What_?”

“How does cooked octopus taste?”

Sanae groaned. “Be serious!”

“It’s a serious question!” Luffi said defensively.

“No, it’s not!”

“Are you done yet?” Jessica asked, stopping by them.

“Just about,” Sanae said, glancing at her – and tried not to groan when she saw the head chef carrying a large barrel of potatoes.

“Well, when you’re done you can start peeling these. Don’t worry,” Jessica added, seeing the flicker of irritation cross Sanae’s face. “You’ve passed the audition and have a good reputation. I’ll get you cooking something real when you’re finished.”

“Good,” Sanae said, sincerely sick of the manual tasks. If she had to be stuck in a military kitchen, she might as well actually cook something.

Jessica glanced at Luffi, who was eagerly inspecting everything. “Your sister isn’t the most useful of chefs, is she?”

“Um… no. No, she’s not,” Sanae agreed, shrugging. “But… you know. Family loyalty. I couldn’t leave her.”

“Fair enough,” Jessica capitulated. “I’m sure I can find some duty for her. But for now, there are one hundred potatoes to peel in order to feed the next hundred men.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Sanae nodded respectfully, the picture of a navy chef, as Jessica walked off to berate another chef for slacking off. With a groan, Sanae picked up a potato peeler and got to work.

Her technique was efficient and she got through them fast, but she was still only half done when one of the chefs caught her. “Hey, could you go onto the stir-fry?”

“I’d be glad to, but I wouldn’t want to disobey the chef,” Sanae said, her fingers working of their own accord to peel the potatoes as she talked.

“These are Jessica’s orders.”

“In that case, then.” Sanae gladly put down the tubers and moved to the stove. With a smile, she glanced at the recipe only long enough to see what was on the menu before picking out her ingredients.

Sanae was a first class chef. She knew it, and within a few minutes by the stove she’d dispelled any lingering doubt the rest of the cooks might still have. Even Jessica looked impressed any time she caught a glimpse of the foods the disguised pirate created.

Every few minutes Sanae was moved to another station. She guessed that Jessica was understandably trying to get an understanding of what the newest ‘Navarone cook’ could do, and was happy to oblige. The amount of food to be prepared was enormous, considering the huge number of forces. However, Sanae was used to cooking for Luffi’s appetite, and she was able to keep up with and even surpass her personal quotas.

“You’re getting great reviews,” one of the cooks told Sanae. He’d introduced himself, but she had completely forgotten what his name was. “The marines all love you.”

Sanae took a moment to grin at that irony. “That’s good to hear.”

The other cook grinned back, and then glanced behind him. Luffi was running eagerly around the kitchen, grabbing whatever food she could and cramming it into her mouth. “No offense, but your sister doesn’t seem to have your talent. What’s she doing?”

“Uh, she’s taste testing.”

“Doesn’t look like she’s tasting much,” the marine grumbled. Sanae was just privately grateful her captain wasn’t revealing any distinctively rubber traits as she stole food. “But you’re a pretty good cook. I’d love a couple of your recipes.”

Sanae beamed at him, giggling slightly. “I’ll be happy to write them down for you.”

“Uh, great, thanks,” the marine said, a little disconcerted by the soppy smile on her face that came from the slightest bit of male attention.

“Stop slacking off!” Jessica snapped at both of them. The military cook instantly jumped to attention. Sanae gave a sharp glance over her shoulder, shrugged, and went back to stirring her pot.

The pirate caught a glimpse of the older woman leaving the kitchen. “You’d think for someone so insistent we keep working, she’d stay the whole time.”

“Oh, that’s because of her husband,” the other cook explained.

“Her husband?”

“Yeah. She always cooks and delivers his meals personally. She always does more than everyone else anyway, so we can hardly begrudge her that.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Sanae mused, taking a handful of chopped onions – they were cut too haphazardly to have been the ones she did – and stirring them into the dish.

Out in the dining room, Jessica walked straight through until she found the table she was looking for. “Here you are. Fresh from the kitchen.”

“Thanks, Jessica,” Commander Jonathon said, smiling at his wife. He glanced down at his food, and then a flicker of disappointment crossed his face.

“Something wrong?”

“No, not really. It’s just… this is the same meal you always cook.”

“Is that a problem?” Jessica asked, a hint of a tease in her voice as she leaned down to the table. “The head chef takes time out her busy schedule to personally prepare your lunch, and you find issue with it?”

“Oh, no, it’s great!” Jonathon hurriedly assured her. “I just… I’ve been hearing such great reviews about the new cooks. Don’t get me wrong – I love your cooking. It’s just, I’d really like to try some of their stuff.”

“Hmm?” Jessica smiled slightly, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. “You’d rather eat the same food as the grunts instead of what was lovingly prepared for you by your wife?”

Jonathon nodded sheepishly.

Jessica shrugged, smiling. “If you so insist. I’ll get the sisters to make something.”

“Thanks, Jessica. I really appreciate it – wait.” Jonathon frowned, and then slowly glanced at the kitchen before turning back to his wife. “Did you say ‘sisters’?”

Jessica shrugged. “Well, to be honest only one of them has any cooking talent at all.”

“But they’re not brothers?” Jonathon tried to clarify. “I’m sure the brass said they were.”

“I noticed that,” Jessica agreed absently. “But, although I’ll admit I haven’t asked, they were wearing the female uniforms.”

 “Must have been a miscommunication-” Jonathon broke off suddenly, before looking at his wife. “Honey, I know that sometimes you and your cooks can get entirely lost in your kitchen and are almost unaware of what’s happening in the rest of Navarone.”

“True, but there’s a good reason for that,” Jessica said, tracing a finger along the outside of Jonathon’s plate. “We have to feed over a thousand hungry soldiers, after all.”

“Yes, but – are you aware that we currently have pirates running amok?”

“Naturally. It’s rather big news, you know,” Jessica said sweetly.

The head chef’s eyes suddenly widened as she stood up straight. “You’re not saying that-”

Jonathon held up his hands. “I wouldn’t want to imply anything, but did they _say_ they were the Marie Jois chefs, or did they agree when you asked?”

“They said they were the new cooks,” Jessica said, reflecting back on it. “They didn’t mention Marie Jois, but I don’t think that was unusual.”

Jonathon stood up too, pushing his chair back. “Judging from the pirate ship’s galley, the Straw Hats have a gourmet chef. Jessica, I think I’d like to have a quick talk with these ‘sisters’ to see if they are who they say they are.”

“By all means.” Jessica’s eyes flashed. She knew that it might still be a communication mistake – the only crime they’d committed was being girls – but it infuriated to think that there may have been pirates using _her_ kitchen as a hiding place. “Get a couple of soldiers to come in with you, would you?”

“Since when do you accept marines in your kitchen?” Jonathon said teasingly as he pulled on his commander’s cloak.

“I’d rather marines than a couple of pirates if they try to pick a fight.”

“Alright.”

Commander Jonathon had no intention of interrupting any of his soldiers’ meals unless absolutely necessary. However, it wasn’t difficult to catch various marines as they were leaving the dining hall. Within a few moments there were eight startled men and women readying their weapons, talking quietly amongst themselves.

“But didn’t you taste the food they said she made?”

“No pirate could cook something that good.”

“Pirates have to eat, don’t they? They’d need a cook.”

“But one _that_ good?”

“All we’re going to do is get her to prove that she’s who she said she was,” Jonathon assured them. “If she is, then Navarone officially has an excellent new cook – although I’m sure she couldn’t be as excellent as Jessica is,” he added with a smile to his wife. Jessica rolled her eyes but smiled back.

“And if she isn’t the Marie Jois cook?” a woman asked.

“Well, then that would make her our second Straw Hat of the day, wouldn’t it?” Jonathon shrugged, pushing open the door to the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought that Sora should get a chance to say she’s a girl explicitly. And, also, when I watched the anime I absolutely loved Zoro’s interrogation scene.
> 
> Comments are lovely!


	25. “I Wouldn’t Be A Pirate If I Was Scared of A Couple of Marines!”

**Chapter Twenty-Five: “I wouldn’t be a pirate if I was scared of a couple of marines!”**

Sanae filled up another plate with the last pieces of the current dish, before turning back to start anew.

“Excuse me, uh, Miss Murray,” someone said directly behind her.

The kitchen suddenly seemed to have gone completely quiet. The atmosphere had gone so tense Sanae felt she could cut it with one of her knives.

Sanae didn’t stop preparing food for a second, even as she heard the distinctive metallic click of a gun.

“Miss Murray?” the polite voice tried again.

Sanae wondered if he was talking to her. She couldn’t quite remember what name she was going under, but she was the only one still moving. Even the noises of Luffi cramming food into her mouth had ceased. Presumably if anyone else was ‘Miss Murray’ they’d have reacted by now. “Yes?”

“I was wondering if you might answer me a question,” the man said pleasantly. “Where exactly were you transferred from?”

Sanae turned around to see a man wearing an official jacket watching her. Behind him eight marines stood, guns pointed.

“I-” Sanae began hesitantly. She knew they’d mentioned it at some point, but she hadn’t really planned on staying long enough for a pop quiz. But judging from the navy forces watching her, their cover was blown anyway.

She could see Luffi in the background, watching with narrowed eyes. Her cheeks were still stuffed, but the captain had apparently been overlooked by the marines.

Finally, the blonde girl shrugged, turning back to her sizzling stir-fry. “I learned to cook on a certain restaurant in the East Blue. Why do you ask?”

Behind her, the various marines tensed. Sanae could see in her peripheral vision most of the cooks were just watching the situation unfold blankly, but some of the quicker ones were cautiously picking up weapons.

“But where were you before you came to Navarone?” the pleasant man pressed.

Sanae considered her options. She could try to bluff her way through, but it wasn’t in her nature to bluster when clearly she was caught. Finally, she decided on the truth. “I was in the sky.”

“So you are one of the Straw Hats,” the man said, as mutters of shock flew around the kitchen.

“That’s right.”

Sanae tensed without turning around from her cooking. She could sense the marines and their guns pointed at her back. She didn’t think she’d have enough time to attack before they fired…

Silently, she put her frypan down, turning the heat to the lowest setting. Then she turned around to face the marines. She took a long moment to confirm that they were too far away and too ready for her to kick without getting shot by at least one of them, and then slowly raised her hands. “Looks like you’ve caught me.”

“Hey! Leave her alone!” Luffi shouted furiously, swallowing down the substantial mouthful of food she had stolen and getting into a fighting position.

Everyone jumped, turning around to face her. Apparently they’d been more focused on the famous new cook than the so-called taste-tester. Most of the marines seemed uncertain who to point their guns at.

“Luffi, don’t,” Sanae warned.

Whispers broke out around the room, all repeating the name ‘Straw Hat Luffi’.

“Well, what do you expect me to do?” Luffi demanded, bunching her fists. She was clearly not pleased with the sight of one of her nakama at gunpoint, but by the same token, didn’t want to risk them firing.

“Go get out of here. Get one of the boys to rescue me, ‘kay?” Sanae suggested.

“But-”

“I’ll be fine,” Sanae promised. “Go.”

Luffi hesitantly took a step towards the door.

“Hey!” one of the marines snapped, swinging his gun back around to Sanae. “Hold it right there or we’ll fire on your friend!”

Luffi froze mid-step, every muscle rigid.

“No, they won’t,” Sanae said dismissively, her hands still in the air. “Go on, Luffi.”

“What do you mean we won’t?” another of the marines demanded, aiming her gun to point right at Sanae’s head. “Why wouldn’t we?”

Sanae smirked. “Really? How would it look if the long arm of justice shot an unarmed girl in cold blood? Without even a trial?” Her smirk grew wider. “I don’t even have a bounty.”

Luffi grinned, finally moving off from her frozen step. “Right!” she said gleefully, before sprinting out of the kitchen.

There was a moment of frantic confusion. Sanae only raised one swirled eyebrow and grinned, daring any of the marines to shoot her with her hands above her head.

“You three, escort the cook to the prison. Everyone else, get Straw Hat!” the commander ordered, pointing out marines before giving chase to the captain.

Sanae watched them go, still smiling at the three remaining. She was most assuredly not happy with the situation, but she also had a reputation as suave to protect. The cool half-smile would only help with that.

“Come on, then, pirate,” one of the marines said finally, poking her with his gun.

Sanae shrugged. “Fine.”

She paused and glanced at the man who had been cooking next to her, very deliberately infuriating the marines. “The stir-fry’ll burn if you don’t stir it in the next minute or so. Also, I put in some vegetables to boil. They’ll be done in ten minutes.”

The cook looked startled. Sanae ignored it, before calmly walking forwards. One of the marines darted behind her, placing his gun against her back.

Sanae didn’t resist as she was escorted out of the kitchen. Her arms started to get tired so she put them down, which made the marines tense, but when she didn’t do anything else they relaxed again.

They walked for about five minutes with no sign of stopping. Sanae had already completely lost track of where they were. She sighed and reached for her jacket pocket under the stolen uniform.

“Hold it!”

The cook froze, her hand halfway up to her chest. “Is something wrong?”  she asked politely.

“Keep your hands where I can see them!”

Slowly, Sanae lifted her hands into the air again.

“What’s in your shirt?” one of her captors demanded.

“Cigarettes,” Sanae answered. “A lighter. I think I’ve got a couple of matches. No weapons, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

The marines only snarled, glaring at her. The pirate met their looks coolly.

“Should we handcuff her?” one of the marines asked quietly.

“I’d prefer if you didn’t,” Sanae replied calmly. “It wouldn’t do you any good anyway. I don’t use my hands to fight.”

“You don’t get a vote!” one of the other marines snapped, before looking around at her two compatriots. “Does anyone actually have any shackles or something?”

Both shook their heads.

“Come on. Let’s get her to the prison already. We can tie her up there,” one of the marines said, tugging at Sanae’s elbow.

Sanae didn’t resist, starting to walk again and wishing for a cigarette.

She took a moment to consider what her chances were of actually getting a rescue. She had faith in her captain’s ability to orchestrate a jailbreak, but doubted that Luffi would do as she asked and get one of the guys. More likely, she’d charge in herself. For that matter, if the marines had Sea Prism stone or anything Luffi couldn’t take with brute force, Luffi would probably get herself captured in the attempt.

All in all, letting them put her in a cell did not seem like a good idea.

The cook shrugged, and then proceeded to kick the marine next to her. Her foot slammed into his stomach, throwing him heavily against the wall.

The other two let out shouts of anger, readying their guns. Sanae was ready for them, however, and did a handspring over to slam her foot down heavily on one of their skulls. Instant concussion, leaving him dazed and semi-conscious.

Before the final one had time to adjust to her new position, Sanae was already moving. One solid kick to the chest cracked several of the marine’s ribs, before a hit to the head had her collapsing.

It had taken a total of about twelve seconds. Sanae hadn’t even lost her white chef’s toque, still sitting snugly on her head.

Stowing the unconscious bodies took longer. Sanae knew that they’d be huge beacons to leave them out in the open, so ended up dragging them into the nearest room – which happened to be a ladies bathroom.

As it turned out, marine boots included very good quality shoe laces. Sanae stripped their shoes of them and used them as bindings, strapping each of their hands behind their backs. She gagged each of them with their own ties to make sure they wouldn’t start screaming when they woke up, and locked them in a cubicle together. Then she crawled under the locked cubicle door and quietly walked out again, humming to herself.

She was still wearing her cook’s uniform. Sanae was wearing her normal attire underneath, and tried to consider what would be more suspicious. A cook clearly far from the kitchen – especially when it wouldn’t take long for news of her capture to spread – or someone who wasn’t wearing any marine uniform at all?

Or maybe she could go back into the ventilation system. Sanae glanced at the ceiling thoughtfully, before proceeding to climb up by standing on the trash can. She did her best to kick the grate in without breaking anything, and then carefully set it down again.

Alright. Now, she could get around the entire base without being spotted, as long as she was quiet.

Probably a good idea to try and find some of the others, then.

**_ X _ **

“Marine command branch eight,” Usoppa read off the wall from their position outside the facility.

“That’s the official name,” Roben agreed, “but it’s more commonly known as Navarone. It’s the marine’s most powerful stronghold.”

“What do you know about it?”

“Very little. I’ve heard rumours suggesting that it’s incredibly strong. Apart from that, I couldn’t say.”

“Oh, come on, aren’t you an archaeologist?” Usoppa asked in irritation. “Study it!”

Roben gave her a measured look. “I can tell you that the central tower there is probably the main command. I can also say that the lake likely connects to the ocean somewhere, since there would be no point in battleships otherwise.”

“What about the _Going Merry_?” Usoppa demanded. “Is she alright?”

“I can’t see,” Roben said, unfazed by the sniper’s panic. “Presumably the ship has been confiscated by the navy.”

“Why are you so calm?!” Usoppa shrieked. “Don’t you know what that ship _means_?”

“Even if we find the _Going Merry_ , all we know is that there _is_ an exit. I don’t believe the marines would be inclined to show us where it is. And that also still leaves the question of where the others are. For all we know, they’ve already been captured.”

“Well, I guess…” Usoppa said hesitantly. Then she leapt to her feet. “You know what? I’ve waited around too long! I wouldn’t be a pirate if I was scared of a couple of marines! I’m going to rescue our ship. You can keep up your investigation.”

“Do what you wish,” Roben said agreeably. “Would it be possible for me to borrow your binoculars, or do you plan on using them in your attempt to get captured?”

“Stop being so negative!” Usoppa grumbled, digging through her satchel and throwing the binoculars. A hand bloomed out of the ground to catch them, before passing them over to Roben. “I’m not going to get captured, you’ll see!”

“So stubborn,” Roben sighed, looking through the binoculars as Usoppa jogged off.

It didn’t take her long to find a training ground, filled with marines.

“Our enemy is the Straw Hat pirates! For the honour and dignity of Navarone, we must deal with them swiftly and without mercy!” a marine officer shouted to his men.

“Sir, yes, sir!”

Usoppa shuddered. A hundred disciplined men crying for her blood was a little unsettling – but the brave Captain Usoppa had a crew and a ship relying on her, and would not cave to fear.

Not being scared was not necessarily the same as being _stupid,_ of course. She wouldn’t last a minute if they found her. Subterfuge was key.

Subterfuge such as the type that could be achieved by grabbing one of the uniforms hanging out to dry right behind her.

Usoppa grinned, darting in amongst the laundry. She had her pick of uniforms, easily finding one in her size and pulling it on over her clothes. It was a little damp from the wash, but infinitely preferable to, say, a bloodthirsty battalion of marines finding her as a pirate.

 _Excellent!_ she thought triumphantly, walking out and confidently passing a marine patrol. _With this disguise, there’s no way-_

“Hey, you! Hold it!”

Usoppa went rigid in terror as the patrol leader walked in front of her, scowling. “Uh… I…”

“Your tie isn’t on properly, private.”

“Huh?” Usoppa blinked at him.

The marine roughly adjusted her tie, before pulling down her collar. “As a Navarone representative you will follow the dress code to the letter. Always remember that, private.”

“Oh. Yes, sir!” Usoppa sprang into a clumsy salute. “I promise it won’t happen again!” She paused, and decided to go for it. “By the way, could you tell me where the pirate ship is being stored? I’m new here so I’m kinda lost.”

“The docks are on the lower level, about six blocks down.” The marine pointed.

“Thank you, sir!” Usoppa saluted again. “I really appreciate the guidance!”

Without another word she turned and sprinted off, leaving the navy officers startled.

It took her only a few minutes to reach the docks. She crept through for a moment, before spotting a welcome carved sheep’s head.

“Oh, _Merry_!” The sniper scrambled to the pier to which the ship was docked. “I’m so glad you’re alright!”

“It’s a fine boat,” someone said beside her.

Usoppa jumped violently, letting out a squeal that if asked later she would vehemently deny.

The old man next to her snorted with laughter, giving her a grin showing off several missing teeth. “Calm down, girlie, I ain’t gonna get you. No reason to be scared.”

“Scared?” Usoppa blustered. “Who, me? Not a chance! But uh – what were you saying before, old timer?”

The military engineer, judging by his work suit, shrugged. “It’s a good boat. A caravel with a lateen sail and a stern rudder in the centre? It’s an older model, but she’ll hold her own against the best of ‘em. From the looks of it, though, she’s seen her share of action, but what’s the point of a ship that doesn’t? The thing that really gets me going is the fact that they actually took care of her after that. Yep, this ship is truly loved.”

 “You can really tell that from looking?” Usoppa asked, impressed.

The engineer nodded. “Makes no difference to me if it’s a navy or a pirate ship. I can always tell at a glance if a boat has gotten proper care and love.”

Usoppa giggled. “Thanks a lot!” she said delightedly, looking at the patches she had taken great care to add.

The man gave her an irritated look. “It’s not like I was complimenting you, private.”

“Well, no,” Usoppa hurriedly agreed. “But I like how it sounds. Is that so wrong?”

“You’re a strange one,” the man said, but dismissed it.

Someone groaned, walking up to them. “You haven’t changed a bit, Mechao. Still trying to compare pirate ships to real marine ships.”

Usoppa nearly jumped out of her skin at the approaching group of marines, led by a forbidding and unsmiling commander.

“Lieutenant Commander Drake,” the engineer sighed, “if you’re here about the ship I told you it won’t be done for a week. It seems that these days marines are under the impression ruining perfectly good ships is in their job description.”

Usoppa quietly started to creep away as Drake replied. “Stand down, I’m not here for you. I’m here to talk to your new friend over there. Hey, Longnose!”

The pirate froze. “Yes, sir!” she blurted.

“Aren’t you aware that this dock is off limits to everyone not maintenance personnel?” the Lieutenant Commander demanded.

“Oh, uh, terribly sorry to have forgotten, sir! My mother always said that I had a terrible memory – she claimed I’d forget my head if it wasn’t screwed on!” Usoppa tried to continue her creeping. “I’ll just leave, then!”

“Hold it. What unit are you with?”

Usoppa turned to face him, trying not to let the sheen on her face catch the light. “Uh, well… unit eighteen, sir,” she invented.

“Of course, unit eighteen,” Drake said agreeably. “That’s a sniper unit, isn’t it?”

“Mm-hmm!” Usoppa nodded frantically. “Sniper, that’s me!” It came out a little too high-pitched to sound like the truth it actually was.

Drake’s sudden smile was completely unsettling. “That’s funny, seeing as unit eighteen is actually a supply unit. Arrest her!”

Usoppa shrieked in terror as the marines following Drake suddenly swooped on her. Four swords pointed straight at her throat.

“But I-” Usoppa gulped, her mind going into overdrive to come up with a logical lie for this situation.

“I received a report that a suspicious new recruit was last seen heading towards the pirate ship. And you definitely seem to meet the criteria.”

Usoppa was too afraid to gulp as the swords came closer to her throat.

To her surprise, it was the old man who intervened. “Stop this immediately! Don’t you know where you are?!”

“What are you talking about, Mechao?” Drake asked incredulously.

“This is the maintenance dock! It’s like sacred ground for us mechanics! You can’t spill a single drop of her blood here or I’ll make sure you regret it!”

There was a long moment of silence as Drake and Mechao glared at each other.

“Put your swords down,” Drake said finally. “We’ll take her to the command centre.”

“Sir!” The marines saluted as they relaxed their weapons. Usoppa started to breathe again.

She was escorted through the facility at swordpoint. At several points Usoppa considered running for it or maybe fighting, but she knew her limits well enough to know that she didn’t have a chance. What she did do was continue insisting this was all a misunderstanding and she was a real marine, really. Drake completely ignored her.

“Commander Jonathon?” Drake rapped on the door to an office.

“Come in.”

Drake and his marines entered, dragging the still-protesting Usoppa. “We’ve captured this suspect, sir. She claims to be a new recruit, but all evidence is pointing to her being a member of the Straw Hat pirates.”

“Evidence?” Commander Jonathon queried politely.

“Yes, sir. She has been acting incredibly suspicious and has been repeating incorrect information, suggesting she has no idea how Navarone runs. We also caught her in Dock Eighty Eight, where the pirate ship was being stored.”

“I see,” Jonathon nodded, a flicker of a smile twitching his moustache. “Well, this might well make up for Straw Hat’s escape from the kitchens, then.” He walked over to Usoppa, who went rigid. “What’s your name, miss?”

Usoppa gulped. “That’s classified,” she squeaked, blurting out the first excuse that came to mind.

“Your rank?”

“That’s classified.”

“Unit?”

“That’s classified.”

“Why were you in the dock where the pirate ship was impounded?”

“That’s classified.”

“I see.” Jonathon stepped back and caught Drake by the wrist. “Could we talk for a moment?”

Drake looked startled, but followed his commanding officer a few steps away. They were still well within earshot, and Usoppa’s ears pricked up.

“I’ve heard that a special inspector is meant to be coming today from headquarters,” Jonathon confided quietly. “They were supposed to arrive on the ship, the _Stan Marey_ , that arrived a few hours ago, but they haven’t revealed themselves.”

“You’re not suggesting-” Drake began incredulously.

“An inspector?” Usoppa whispered, a glimmer of hope in her.

Jonathon nodded. “It is possible that the inspector decided to dress up like one of our recruits to get a true perspective of our base. In that case, it would make sense for every detail about her to be ‘classified’.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Drake protested.

Usoppa steeled herself, and then put on her most confident smile, letting out what she hoped was an authoritative laugh. “So you’ve figured me out, eh, Commander Jonathon? You should be proud of yourself – it’s no less than I expected.” Usoppa held her head up high, shaking the loosened marine grips off her arms. “You’re quite correct; I am indeed the special inspector sent by headquarters. You may call me Inspector Usoppa!”

Drake looked stunned. “There’s no way…”

Usoppa stepped forwards. The act of having a cover had gone a long way to cheering up her spirits. “Is there any illegal activity in Branch Eight?” she challenged the room at large. “Are all codes and regulations being properly followed? Is the morale for the troops high? The only way to answer these questions was to hide amongst the soldiers!”

“Well-” Lieutenant Commander Drake began, but Usoppa wasn’t finished.

“I must say, I was disappointed to hear that pirates have breached your defences. However, you have somewhat made up for that with you stringent security measures. I cannot claim to be pleased to have been mistaken for one myself, but it’s all understandable.”

Behind her, each of the marines who had dragged her saluted. “We’re sorry, Inspector Usoppa!”

“That can’t be right!” Drake protested, his eyes wide. “If she really is a special inspector than she has a higher rank than we do! This idiotic woman cannot be higher ranking than me!” He pointed at Usoppa furiously.

Usoppa’s expression stayed smug. “Idiotic woman?” she repeated sweetly. “Is that what you call a superior officer, Lieutenant Commander Drake?”

Drake started to twitch as he lowered his hand. Usoppa’s confidence had unsettled him, especially when it had been an instant switch from her previous nervous state. One of the emotions had to have been faked – and generally speaking, it was harder to fake confidence when terrified.

“I could have you court-martialled for insulting a senior officer, you know,” Usoppa continued, her grin growing wider. “I have friends in high places, I hope you realise.” She placed a hand on his shoulder, all the while smiling condescendingly. “How about it? Do you want to have the experience of a navy prison? I can do that very easily.”

Drake flinched. “N-no,” he stuttered. “…Sir.”

Usoppa took her hand off. She quite liked being referred to as ‘sir’ by a naval officer. “Then watch what you say, hmm?”

A marine chose that moment to enter the room. “Sir! Special Inspector Major Shepherd from marine headquarters is here to see you, sir!”

Usoppa felt the blood drain from her face as Drake scowled at her. “I – I…”

Drake’s hand curled around the front of her shirt. Yanking Usoppa up with a grip like iron, he held her dangling on her tip-toes.

“How interesting,” Jonathon said, giving a sharp glance at the pale sniper, before turning to the marine at the door. “Please, show them in, then.”

“And what were you saying before?!” Drake growled at Usoppa as a black-haired man with a confident step walked into the room. “What was that about a marine prison?! Do you really believe that such ridiculousness could ever pass for an officer-”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Usoppa began to babble, “I’m sorry, I’m – huh?” She trailed off abruptly as she got another look at the man in the white marine coat.

It was Roben.

The archaeologist must have run into the real inspector. By the looks of things, he’d then effectively stolen his identity. Dressed in the officer jacket and gleaming sunglasses, the pirate looked like the epitome of marine professionalism.

With Lieutenant Commander Drake still snarling in her ear, Usoppa frantically tried to remember the name the marine had given Roben, her mind racing ahead several steps to work out the lie she could use for this situation.

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Commander Jonathon,” Roben said courteously to the marine commander. His eyes behind stolen glasses skated over the rest of the room. They faltered for only a split second on Usoppa, before continuing without registering any surprise.

“Oh, hey Major Shepherd!” Usoppa called, effectively startling Drake to silence. “I didn’t know the brass sent both of us to Navarone! I wouldn’t have thought we needed two inspectors – you reckon it was a mistake?”

Roben and Jonathon both turned to look at her. There was no trace of recognition in Roben’s expression; he just looked puzzled.

“Come on, what’s with the blank face, huh?” Usoppa asked, struggling against Drake’s grip still on her stolen marine shirt. “You know me! I’m Inspector Usoppa! We’re in the same division, remember?”

There was a long moment of silence, with each of the marines glancing between the two pirates and wondering how many of them were government.

Finally Roben spoke. “I’m sorry. I have no idea who you are.”

“What?” Usoppa gaped as Drake started snarling at her again. “But – Shepherd! We’re teammates, remember?”

“No. I don’t think I’ve seen you before in my life,” Roben said, turning away.

Usoppa choked in horror.

“I knew it!” Drake shouted triumphantly, throwing Usoppa bodily into the pile of marines. The lower-ranking officials caught her, holding her tightly. “Lock her up!”

“Hey, wait! Don’t act like you don’t know me!” Usoppa howled, kicking out as the marines dragged her out.

Roben didn’t spare her another glance as the doors slammed, before smiling at Commander Jonathon. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to begin my inspection in the library. You have records of the base, correct?”

“Oh, naturally, Major Shepherd,” Jonathon nodded. “Would you like me to escort you there?”

“That would be welcome.”

Usoppa was escorted to the prison, still valiantly holding onto her protests that this was a misunderstanding and she really was a marine inspector.

She didn’t give up until one of the marines tugged at her stolen uniform, revealing the overalls she was wearing underneath. “Doesn’t look like marine standard to me.”

“Well, of course not, I told you I had to pretend to be a rookie in order to get a good idea of Navarone-” Usoppa protested vehemently.

The marine holding the uniform looked at the collar. “It’s got ‘property of Morgan Olive, unit seventeen’ written on the label,” the woman read aloud, before giving Usoppa a sceptical look. “A real marine inspector would have access to plenty of uniforms without having to steal.”

Usoppa felt the last dregs of her credibility drain away. Of course, she had been pretty much ousted when Roben refused to back her up, but it still wasn’t a nice feeling. “Well, fine! I’m a pirate! I’m Pirate Captain Usoppa, and I’ve got eight thousand men! You’d better let me go or else they’ll be coming to break me out any minute, and I’ll remember all your faces and send them straight to you!”

None of the marines looked impressed by her lie. Drake waved a hand dismissively, not even bothering to point out any of the obvious flaws in her claim. “Put her in handcuffs.”

“Hey!” Usoppa protested as her satchel was taken away and her hands were locked behind her back. “I’m telling you, I have eight thousand followers! You’ll be sorry for this when they come for me! Let me go now and I might show mercy!”

The marines ignored her, dragging her towards the cells. Usoppa’s eyes widened when she saw Sora already in one. The swordsman looked to be asleep, but her eyes flickered open as the door to her cell crashed open and Usoppa was thrown in.

Usoppa let out an undignified yell. She was off balance in her handcuffs and tumbled to the ground as the door slammed shut ominously.

“You okay?” Sora asked lazily.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Usoppa grumbled, struggling to sit up again. “But what are you doing here, Zor – Sora?”

“Sleeping,” Sora yawned.

“Well, I saw _that_. I meant, how did _you_ get caught?”

Sora shrugged. “Got found. Couldn’t fight in the water against a dozen boats.”

“Right,” Usoppa said, not entirely understanding but guessing that was as much detail as she was going to get. “Well, I’m here because of Roben’s betrayal,” she grumbled.

Sora glanced at her curiously, frowning. Usoppa hadn’t expected the swordsman to have cared that much – but then again, Sora had been the most suspicious of their newest member. It looked like she was starting to trust the archaeologist after everything he’d done with no indication of disloyalty, but the phrase ‘Roben’s betrayal’ would definitely get her attention. “What happened?”

“Well, I was trying to say that I was a marine special inspector, right?” Usoppa began to explain. She gave a glance at the watching marines and lowered her voice. As tempting as it was to get Roben caught too, the practical side of her knew that the less Straw Hats in prison, the better. “But then Roben comes in, also disguised as this inspector. He had gotten the cloak somewhere and a badge, so everyone believed him. I tried to get him to agree that both of us were inspectors, but he denied it and said he didn’t know me. He just flat out stabbed me in the back! That’s messed up, don’t you think, Sora?”

Sora relaxed against the wall. The suspicion on her face had faded and she just looked sleepy again. “Calm down. It wasn’t a betrayal.”

“Then what was it?” Usoppa demanded, her volume rising again.

“Now you’re here with me,” Sora said flatly.

Usoppa’s protests suddenly died out.

Roben had the uncanny ability to know everything. It probably would have been child’s play for him to find out that Sora had been captured. And the archaeologist also would have been well aware that, while Usoppa might have gotten into serious trouble if she got caught by herself, Sora could be an absolute monster when it came to protecting her crew. Sharing the cell with the Straw Hat swordsman was probably the safest place in the base for her right now.

On the other hand… Usoppa gave a glance at the dozens of guns pointed directly at them, with security ready to hold down ‘Pirate Hunter Zoro’. A marine prison probably wasn’t that much safer for a pirate.


	26. “They’ve Caught Two of My Crew?!”

**Chapter Twenty-Six: “They’ve caught two of my crew?!”**

_**or** _

**“Good to see you, Condoriano.”**

 “So have they figured out if that swordsman we caught is a girl or not?”

Still mopping up the disused gym, Namizo went rigid. In the outside corridor, two patrolling marines were talking, and what they had to say wasn’t comforting.

“I think it’s pretty obvious it’s a girl. The question is if she’s actually Pirate Hunter Zoro.”

“I guess it doesn’t matter. A pirate’s a pirate, and since she’s already in prison who cares how tough she is?”

_That idiot!_ Namizo inwardly raged as he resumed mopping, listening as the two marines walked off. _I told her to stay put!_

Angry cleaning is not an easy thing, but mopping while furious tends to lead to it. Namizo hit the mop on the ground with unnecessary force every time he lifted it up, almost splintering the handle by about the tenth time.

“Saaaannnnnaaaaeeeee!” Luffi’s voice rang out along the corridor. “Hey, Saaaannnnaaaaeee! Where are they taking you?”

Namizo’s head jerked up. “What is she doing-?” he demanded, walking to the door.

A blur of red ran past him, and then backtracked. “Hey, Nami-” Luffi began delightedly, but was silenced by a hand slapping over her mouth.

“What are you- ” Namizo began, before the sound of running reached his ears. Frantically he dragged his captain into the room and shoved her in the corner. “Duck down, don’t move, and don’t say _anything_!” Namizo ordered her violently, before heading back to the mop and trying not to skid on the slippery surface.

Marines were already heading past. One of them stopped to look at the disused gym, seeing nothing but a red-haired janitor making a valiant effort to clean it. “Have you seen anyone go past here? A girl in a straw hat?”

“Nope!” Namizo said instantly, turning to face the marine with a weak smile. “Haven’t seen anyone, and I’ve been here for hours.”

“Where could she have gone, then?” the marine cursed, before running off again.

Namizo waited for the law enforcement officers to disappear, before slamming the door shut and turning to face Luffi. “What are you doing, running around and yelling?” he demanded.

“Well, I promised I’d get Sanae back.”

“Yes, but still, that’s not a good reason to-” Namizo broke off as the implications of that hit him. “Wait, you mean Sanae got caught too?”

“Yeah!” Luffi nodded frantically.

“Oh, no,” Namizo groaned. “The marines have already gotten two of our strongest fighters?”

“Uh-huh,” Luffi agreed. The captain paused, and then frowned. “Wait, who else did they get?”

“I heard some of the marines talking about how they caught Sora.”

“What?” Luffi gaped. “They’ve caught _two_ of my crew?!”

“That’s what I just said! And keep your voice down!”

Luffi obediently dropped her volume, glancing at the door. “Well, we gotta go rescue them, then!” she said, no less forceful for the whisper.

“Are you kidding me?” Namizo snapped.

Luffi glared at him. “What? You don’t want to go rescue them?” she challenged.

“Of course I do, but that’s not the point! We can’t just walk in there and set off every alarm in the base! We have to wait until we’ve found everyone and then we can all break out together!”

“What kind of a pirate leaves their crewmates to the marines?!” Luffi demanded furiously.

“We’re not _leaving_ anyone! We’ll get them out; we just can’t do it now!” Namizo argued. He was getting a sinking feeling that Luffi wasn’t quite listening to his reasoning.

“But-”

“Luffi, listen to me. We don’t know where the others are. If you go in alone, you’ll probably just get caught. Then the rest of us will have to come rescue you as well, instead of you helping us rescue them. We _can’t_ go yet.”

There was a long moment of silence as Luffi looked at Namizo. The captain was only a centimetre or so shorter than the navigator, and the even footing meant it was easy for her to look into his eyes. Finally, she smiled. “You can stay here if you’re scared, Namizo.”

“What?” Namizo blanched. “I’m not _scared,_ I’m being _smart_.”

“Well, whatever. I’m not going to sit around and wait while two of my crew are in a marine prison. I’m going to go get them out.”

“ _Luffi_!” Namizo groaned. He rubbed his temples. Judging from the set of Luffi’s jaw, there was no chance of him changing her mind. Luffi wanted to go rescue her friends, and Namizo physically did not have the power to stop her.

Pressing on the navigator’s mind was the reminder that if Luffi went in alone, she would almost certainly get caught. Luffi, Sanae, and Sora were the three most powerful fighters on the crew. Any rescue attempt would be much easier with them on the outside.

Beyond that, Luffi had long since earned his loyalty. He didn’t really want to sit back and watch as his captain got arrested.

“Well, I’m not going to let you go _alone_ ,” Namizo grumbled. “Fine. Let’s go. I was getting sick of cleaning, anyway.”

Luffi lit up. “Awesome! So where are Sanae and Sora, then?”

“If they were captured, they’re probably in the brig.” Namizo considered keeping his janitor disguise, but unless he wanted to fake being a hostage they might wonder why a cleaner was walking around with Straw Hat Luffi. Shrugging, he pulled off the apron. It wasn’t like he’d been enjoying it anyway.

“Cool. Do you know where the brig is?”

“How would I know where the brig is?” Namizo groaned. “Come on. Let’s find it.”

**_ X _ **

“Ninety nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety nine bottles of beer.” Usoppa had decided to try a new way of entertaining herself during the imprisonment. “Take one down, pass it around, ninety eight bottles of beer on the wall! Ninety eight bottles of beer on the wall, ninety eight bottles of-”

“Usoppa?”

“Yes, Sora?”

“Shut up.”

Usoppa scowled as the swordsman adjusted her position. “Easy for you to say! Not everyone can sleep while being captured by the marines!”

“That’s your problem,” Sora grumbled.

“We caught another Straw Hat!” one of the marines yelled.

The guards all spun around to face the approaching group. They were escorting a black-haired man wearing a pink singlet who was violently protesting, kicking and shouting all the while.

At the shout, Usoppa’s heart had clenched, but the man was most certainly not a Straw Hat pirate. She glanced at Sora to see what she thought of this new development, but the swordsman’s expression was carefully blank.

The stranger was thrown into the cell, hands cuffed behind his back. “What do you think you’re doing, soldier!” he howled as the door slammed shut. “Do you peons know who I am?”

Snorting, the marine who had escorted him rolled his eyes. “Oh yeah, you made sure to tell us over and over. You’re Special Inspector Major Shep, right?”

“Major Shepherd!” the stranger shrieked. “I will have you court-martialled for this! Every one of you will regret every step of this incident! I’m the highest ranking officer you’ve ever met!”

“Right, sure,” the officer smirked.

It was hardly mind-boggling detective work to fit the pieces together. The special inspector Roben was impersonating had been discovered, out of uniform and lacking any kind of military ID. Despite being a logical assumption, it also bordered on amusing that he’d been mistaken for a Straw Hat.

“I have business with Commander Jonathon! Get me out of here if you value your job!”

“Enough of your nonsense,” the first guard’s partner snarled. “We know you’re a pirate. No real navy major from HQ would let his ID get stolen so easily.”

Usoppa let a slow smile creep across her face, before addressing the man. “Oh, give it up, would you? You’re just embarrassing yourself – and the rest of the crew.”

Every marine, including Major Shepherd, looked at her.

“You’ve gotta know when you’re done for,” Usoppa told him, leaning comfortably against the hard rock floor. “Struggling will only make it worse.” She let her mouth spread into a smile, meeting Shepherd’s eyes. “Good to see you, Condoriano.”

Shepherd blinked. “Condoriano?” he repeated.

Usoppa let out a bark of realistic laughter. “What, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten your own name, _Condoriano_.” She got to her feet and walked over, kneeling to where the false pirate was sitting. “How about my beautiful face, you remember that?”

Shepherd jumped to his feet, shoving Usoppa violently away from him. “Get off me! I have no idea who you are but I am not your friend!” He turned to face the guards, who were looking amused at what they saw was disproving the remains of his lie. “Soldier! I don’t know this woman!”

Usoppa sat up and faked a look of hurt. “What happened to you?” she asked, false worry oozing into her voice. “Did the fall damage your brain? Say it ain’t so!” She turned to face the startled marines, crocodile tears brimming in her eyes. “I’m begging you! Take this wretch with the broken mind from our midst! He is no longer the old Condoriano I knew on my crew!”

“Well, that settles it,” one of the women outside the cage said calmly.

“Yeah, no point in even interrogating him,” one of her comrades agreed.

Shepherd turned around to face the marines in horror. “What do you mean, ‘that settles it’?” he asked incredulously as they started to walk off. “Wait! Where are you going?! I’m ordering you to wait!”

One of the marines smirked at him over her shoulder. “Sorry, _Condoriano_ , we don’t take orders from pirates.”

“I’ll see you all court-martialled! This is a disgrace, you hear me, a disgrace!”

Sora sighed and got to her feet, walking over to the ranting cellmate. “Oi. Condoriano.”

“What?” Shepherd turned around furiously to face her.

Sora headbutted his forehead, sending him crashing against the bars. “That’s enough of that crap,” she grumbled.

Shepherd slid down the bars, his eyes unfocused.

“Nice move, Z – Sora!” Usoppa grinned as the swordsman went back to her position against the wall.

After a few minutes of silence, Usoppa stopped humming (mostly because she lost count of how many bottles of beer were still on the wall without the lyrics). She looked around cautiously, wondering how she didn’t notice all of the marines leaving. The only one she could see was Major Shepherd, who was still lying dazed on the floor.

“Is it just me, or does something not feel right to you?” Usoppa asked Sora.

“There’s tension in the air,” Sora agreed with her eyes closed. “Something’s going on.”

Water dripped dully from a broken pipe in the prison.  The only cells occupied was the one shared by the Straw Hats (real and pretend), and the one in which their equipment had been stored. Not counting Shepherd, there were no marines in sight.

Footsteps walked down the stairs, slow and steady with no hint of a rush. Usoppa glanced around, wondering who it was.

A man in an orange military-engineer jumpsuit stepped into the prison.

“Freeze!”

At least forty marines burst out of hiding, swords drawn as they surrounded the newcomer. The mechanic shrieked and raised his hands.

“Mechao?”

“What?”

“The guy from the docks?”

Lieutenant Commander Drake stared at him from his vantage point over the rest of the marines. “What are you doing here?” he demanded furiously as his troops put away their weapons.

“I just came down here to ask a question!” Mechao protested, slowly lowering his hands now reassured he wasn’t about to be stabbed.

In their cell, Sora frowned. _It’s a trap,_ she thought, irritated. That was going to make escape difficult.

Drake sighed. “What’s your question?”

“It’s not for you,” Mechao said dismissively. “It’s for that long-nosed girl you took from the docks.”

Usoppa blinked, moving closer to the bars of the cell.

Drake twitched. “I can’t just let you talk to a prisoner freely!”

“It won’t take long,” Mechao said absently, already walking over to the cell. “Cut me some slack, will you?”

“You-” Drake began furiously.

Mechao ignored him, crouching down to talk to the sitting pirate. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Usoppa said cautiously. “You’re that guy from the dock. What’re you doing here?” Her eyes widened with horror as a thought occurred to her. “Don’t tell me that something’s happened to the _Merry_!”

“Don’t worry,” Mechao said reassuringly. He sat down, feeling the ache that was coming from crouching. “Your ship’s safe for the time being. I promise that she’s okay.”

Usoppa sighed in relief. “Don’t scare me like that,” she chided him, almost playfully.

Mechao smiled. “You’re the one who does most of the repairs on that ship, right?”

Looking up at him in surprise, Usoppa nodded. “Uh, yeah. More or less.”

“Well, you’d better do something about those mast plates.”

“What? Why? What’s wrong with them?”

“Unless you use splices, even if you nail the iron sheets, the mast’ll snap like a twig at the first sign of a strong wind.”

“A… splice?” Usoppa asked blankly.

Mechao looked startled. “You don’t know what a splice is? What kind of a shipwright are you?”

“I’m not. I’m a sniper.” Usoppa paused, and then decided to confide in the mechanic. “And actually, I’m not the one who did those repairs. I don’t know who did them. A while ago the _Merry_ had been damaged. We were camping on a bank until we could get a chance to fix her. In the middle of the night, I heard someone hammering. When I got to the ship, I could see a ghostly figure, but I never saw who. It wasn’t anyone on the crew, and when we woke up the next day all the repairs were done.”

“Someone did it all in one night?” Mechao repeated.

Usoppa nodded. “Yeah. We weren’t anywhere near here, though. We were ten thousand metres above the sea in a place called Sky Island. I guess I assumed that it was some kind of Sky Island thing – but you don’t believe me, do you?”

Mechao’s expression had actually been closer to surprise than disbelief. “Actually, I do.”

“Really? You’re not calling me a liar?”

“The ship fell out of the sky from somewhere. I saw it with my own eyes. Your ship came at an angle that meant it was a considerable height. What was Sky Island like?”

“Oh, it was pretty amazing. Everything was made out of clouds, and they had these really neat power sources called ‘dials’. Of course, we made a couple of enemies up there too, but we took care of them.”

“Sounds interesting. But anyway, the night when someone repaired your ship. Was it foggy when you saw them?”

“Yeah, it was!” Usoppa gasped. “How did you know? Do you know who – or what – that was?”

“Enough!” Drake snapped, cutting off whatever Mechao was about to say. “You do realise this is a conversation with a pirate, old man? We’ve got business to attend to here. I’m cutting this chitchat short.”

Two marines walked forwards and dragged Mechao up by the shoulders. They were more gentle than they had been with the pirates, but it was still an undignified way to stand up.

Mechao was escorted out. As he reached the stairs, he glanced over his shoulder. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you the most important bit! When you make repairs to a ship, always pay special attention to the parts you normally wouldn’t bother with! Those are the parts that need it most! If you treasure that ship half as well as I think you do, you’ll do well never to forget that!”

“Alright!” Usoppa shouted back. “Thank you, old man! I’ll always remember that!”

Drake did not look impressed.

Mechao left. The other marines quietly slipped back into their ambush positions. Usoppa began worrying about those who would come rescue them.

It barely took five minutes before a familiar voice started to shout, making Usoppa bite her lip in worry.

“Sora! Sanae! Are you two okay?” Luffi’s yell echoed along the prison.

“Was that Luffi?” Usoppa asked. At the edges of her vision, she could see the marines tensing.

“Heeeyyy!” Luffi yelled. Her voice was coming closer.

“Luffi!” Usoppa shouted back. “Don’t come in here!” She paused and looked at the recently-woken Sora for help. “But then who’s going to come rescue us then? What should I say?”

Sora yawned, shrugging. “It doesn’t matter. Tell them they can rescue us if they want to.”

“Hey! Rescue us if you want to!” Usoppa yelled.

“That sounded like Usoppa!” Luffi shouted, the sounds of her movement now coming from the stairs.

“Wait, don’t just go barging in!” Namizo’s voice yelled at her.

“He’s right, Luffi!” Sora called. “It’s a trap; there’s at least forty marines waiting for you.”

There was a surprisingly high squeak from the stairs that was presumably caused by Namizo since Luffi had already reached the cell. “Hey, you guys!” Luffi waved. “Usoppa! I didn’t think you’d be here! But where’s Sanae?”

Usoppa blinked at her. “I haven’t seen her.”

“We can find her in a minute then. Hold on, I’ll get you out.” Luffi grabbed the bars, and proceeded to sink to the floor in a heap, her hand still wrapped around the cell entrance.

Namizo skidded to a halt behind her, staff at the ready. “Luffi, it’s a – Luffi?!”

“Dammit! Sea Prism bars!” Sora swore under her breath.

“We’ve been waiting for you,” Lieutenant Commander Drake said. There was an ominous _shink_ as forty swords were unsheathed.

Namizo squeaked, dropping his ClimaTact. Luffi blinked at him woozily, still lying on the ground.

“You going to surrender, or do we have to take you in by force?” Drake growled.

Namizo flushed angrily, bending down to pick up his ClimaTact. Calmly, he put it away and dragged Luffi away from the Sea Prism. “Captain? Can you deal with them?”

“I guess…” Luffi said weakly. She shook her head, trying to displace any lingering effects of Sea Prism, and got into a fighting position.

“There’s more of us, you realise,” a voice said from behind them.

Namizo and Luffi turned around to see another patrol of marines, waiting with their rifles primed.

“Okay.” Luffi cracked her knuckles. She was still looking dizzy, but her jaw was locked determinedly. “I can take all of you, no sweat. Namizo, can you get Usoppa and Sora out?”

“Right,” Namizo said shakily, reaching into his pocket. It was an old thief’s trick to carry lock-picks, a habit Namizo had never thought to break.

Luffi stepped away from the bars. Namizo was alarmed to note she was slightly off balance, still swaying from the brush with Sea Prism stone. While he had faith in his captain’s ability to fight, the guns and swords were not inspiring confidence.

Nervously, the former burglar checked the cell Sora and Usoppa were held in, inspecting the lock. For the first time he realised there was a stranger sharing their cell, but he was semi-conscious and Namizo quickly dismissed him from his mind.

“Can you break it?” Usoppa asked nervously.

“I… I don’t know.” Namizo nervously kneeled down and started to pick the lock. He could clearly see Sora’s swords and Usoppa’s satchel in the cell next to them, which only increased his nervousness. Picking a second lock would take time they didn’t have – but on the other hand, even accepting that neither would leave their weapons behind willingly, both would need to be at their most battle ready.

One of the marines fired at him. Namizo shouted and jumped back, instantly moving behind Luffi’s bulletproof body. “I don’t think I can pick it,” he admitted quickly to Sora and Usoppa, as Luffi fired off a well-aimed Gum Gum Pistol at the marine who’d shot at the navigator. “Maybe I could if we had more time or if people weren’t shooting at me, but as it is I don’t know what I can do.”

“Can’t Luffi just be a shield? She’s bulletproof, and no-one’s going to get close with a sword,” Usoppa pointed out, yelling to be heard over the sound of battle.

“I think she’s busy enough as is,” Sora said dryly as she watched the captain fire off Gum Gum Gattling to ward a group of marines off. “Besides, she can’t get too close to the Sea Prism.”

“Well, have you got any ideas?” Namizo demanded.

“Get my swords. I’ll cut a way out.”

“You can’t just cut through every problem you face!” Namizo snapped at her.

Judging from her stubborn expression, Sora disagreed.

“I can’t pick that lock, either,” Namizo growled.

Sora glanced deliberately at the wall opposite her cell. “The keys are there. They took the one to our cell, but I only saw them taking one. You should be able to unlock it. Also, duck.”

Namizo didn’t question the order, rapidly flattening himself to the ground as Luffi’s leg whizzed over her head, stretching almost the entire length of the prison corridor.

Panting, he pushed himself up. “Can you really cut the bars?” he questioned, judging where the keys were. They were helpfully labelled with cell numbers. Even of those that could hear, none of the marines were interested in the conversation – all were more preoccupied with Luffi.

“I can cut steel,” Sora said, almost casually.

“You… really?” Namizo asked, surprised. “Since when?”

“Alabasta.”

Namizo glanced at the swords in the cell over, and nodded. “Alright, but you’d better be able.”

Without waiting for another response he darted across the corridor, ducking under the battle. Luffi was putting up a good fight, but it was clear that in the small corridor with patches of Sea Prism she was at a disadvantage. Cuts were covering her arms and legs, but for now she was successfully keeping the marines at bay.

Namizo easily grabbed the key and raced across the room again. Marine eyes glanced at him briefly before turning back to the battle at hand. They all knew that the key to the cell wasn’t on the wall. The few that had picked up on the conversation doubted in anyone’s ability to cut through marine cages, which had been proven to withstand impacts from a cannon. All reasoned that the red-haired boy could be taken care of momentarily, as soon as Straw Hat was dealt with.

It took only a few seconds for Namizo to confirm he had the right key, it clicking satisfyingly against the lock. Keeping the key firmly in hand lest any marine think of closing the door behind him, he darted into the cell. Grabbing the swords and satchel, Namizo scampered out again.

Sora was waiting with her back to the bars of the cell, her shackled hands open for a sword. Namizo hurriedly slipped a sword in through the bars, putting the handle of the red-sheathed one in her hand.

Twisting her wrist in a way that looked painful, Sora brought the sword down. It severed the wooden handcuff, letting her hands spring free. Easily she cut off the remains, dropping them dismissively on the ground. “Give me the other two.”

“You’re welcome,” Namizo grumbled, doing as asked anyway.

“Right.” Sora’s mouth twitched slightly as she cut through Usoppa’s handcuffs. “Thanks.”

She drew all three swords.

Despite the battle raging only a metre away, the air seemed remarkably still. Even the groaning of the semi-conscious man on the ground had muffled.

Sora’s entire face had grown oddly blank. Her eyes looked both incredibly distant and somehow paradoxically focused. She seemed to be in some kind of trance.

 Then abruptly, she spun her swords, slashing them through the cage. “Three Sword Style Deadly Crow Hunt!”

There was a moment of ringing silence as, despite themselves, every marine turned to look at the cage. Namizo, knowing what the swordsman was capable of, rushed to get out of the way lest it fall on him, dragging Luffi safely to the side with him.

The cell door creaked, and then dropped down with a tremendous crash.

Sora calmly stepped over the dazed man in the cell, her boots crunching on debris as she tied her sheathes to her belt, swords still in hand. Usoppa hurriedly followed suit, gratefully taking her satchel back from Namizo.

“Hey, Luffi. You want a hand dealing with these guys?” Sora asked, her voice muffled by the sword in her mouth.

“Yeah, actually. The sword guys keep cutting me,” Luffi said, almost pouting.

“No worries. You want to take the ones with guns?”

“Uh-huh.” Luffi flexed her fingers, grinning at the marines in question. All of them were looking very pale at the demonstration of exactly what the Straw Hat pirates were capable of.

“We’ll just, stay over here, shall we?” Usoppa asked, standing beside Namizo.

“Yeah, you two go on ahead, we’ll be fine here,” Namizo agreed.

Sora snorted.

“Yeah, no problem,” Luffi said absently, still watching the terrified marines. She grinned, and threw herself back into the battle, Sora doing the same on the other side.

It wasn’t so much that all of them were defeated, so much as it was the most of them turned and fled. The result was still that within a few minutes, the Straw Hats were left alone with only defeated marines around them. Most were unconscious, and those that weren’t were smart enough to fake it.

“So… where’s Sanae, anyway?” Namizo asked.

Sora and Usoppa both gave him blank looks. “Sanae?” Usoppa repeated.

“Yeah. Luffi said she got arrested.”

“Haven’t seen her,” Sora shrugged.

“Did we beat her here?” Luffi asked curiously.

“We can’t have,” Namizo said absently. “We had no idea where we were going and she had a head start.”

“They might have taken her to the commander first,” Usoppa suggested. “They did for me since they didn’t know if I was a marine or not.”

“Luffi?” Namizo glanced at the captain. “Did Sanae say she was a pirate?”

“I think so,” Luffi said, replaying the conversation in her mind. “They definitely knew she was, anyway.”

“Maybe she escaped, then?” Usoppa gave another suggestion.

“Well, all staying here is going to do is get us caught again. The marine’s’ll be coming back with reinforcements,” Sora said decisively, sheathing her swords. “Let’s go.”

The swordsman started to run, and the others followed her up the stairs.

“Wait!” Usoppa yelled. “Hey, wait! Don’t let Zor – Sora lead! She’ll get us lost!”

“Shut up!” Sora yelled at her from the front.

They took a sharp corner, following Sora’s lead.

“And there we go!” Namizo yelled. “We’re lost!”

 “I _told_ you so!” Usoppa snapped. “How do you even get lost going to the front door?!”

“I told you to shut it!”

Luffi burst into laughter as she sprinted with the others. “You want me to lead since you have no idea where you’re going, Sora?”

“Like you have room to talk!”

“For crying out loud,” Namizo groaned, pushing to the front. “This way!”

Namizo wasn’t as fast as Sora and Luffi, but both trusted their navigator enough to slow down and let him stay in front. Usoppa was glad for the slower pace, although it frustrated the other two.

After a few minutes they found an exit. It wasn’t the front door that Namizo and Luffi had entered through – Namizo _could_ have led them back to it, if he hadn’t guessed that way was probably surrounded – but it was clearly an opening, if one set up for cannons.

Five marines were stationed there. They gaped in horror at the approaching Straw Hats, before raising their weapons. “Freeze, pirates!”

“Gum Gum Gatling Gun!”

The marines were quickly dispatched, knocked outside and off the cliff. It wasn’t a fatal drop, but at least one of them broke a leg and none would be climbing it in a hurry.

“It’s a dead end,” Sora grumbled, still smarting at being refused the lead.

“No, there’s a path,” Luffi pointed.

Gunfire sounded. Sora, Namizo and Usoppa ducked behind a rocky outcrop, but the rubber captain had no need to move. She turned around curiously, wondering who was firing at them.

“So, you’ve shown yourselves, eh?”

Commander Jonathon was standing on a balcony. He was about two levels above the Straw Hats and a room or two the side, but was clearly visible. Beside him was a lieutenant, holding his gun tightly.

“That’s the base commander!” Usoppa squeaked.

Luffi scowled at him. “You’re the guy that arrested Sanae!” she growled.

 “You mean the cook?” Jonathon asked lightly. “Well, that is part of marine duties.” He didn’t find it necessary to mention the blonde’s escape.

“Well, I got the rest of my crew back!” Luffi said, gesturing to the hiding pirates. “And I’m gonna find Sanae and everyone else, too. And then we’re gonna get out here.”

_Bang!_

For a millisecond that lasted an hour, the Straw Hats stared in horror at the approaching cannonball. The cannons across the lake had fired at them.

“Run!” Usoppa screamed, leading the way as the others followed. Luffi was last, with a vague idea of rocketing the cannonball back.

After seeing the destruction caused by it, she was glad she didn’t. The cannonball had completely demolished the entire area the Straw Hats had been. Thankfully, the worst injuries were a couple of scratches on Luffi and one small bruise on Sora that the swordsman didn’t even notice.

“There they go!”

“After them!”

“Yeesh,” Namizo groaned, recognising the man leading the fresh charge as Lieutenant Commander Drake. “Don’t these guys ever give up?”

 “You want me to slow ‘em down again?” Luffi asked, turning around and running backwards as she wound up her arm.

On cue, Drake stopped dead, picking up a Baby Transponder Snail. He started to talk quietly to it. The Straw Hats didn’t stop for a moment, but from their rapidly increasing distance it looked like he was unimpressed. Still, he called a halt to the rest of his party and the marines left.

“That was too easy,” Namizo hissed.

“Stop complaining already,” Sora groaned. “Too many marines, not enough marines – make up your mind.”

“I don’t trust marines that suddenly stop chasing! It’s obviously a trap!” Namizo snapped.

“That way’s the bridge,” Luffi said, not paying attention to the argument.

Without another word the rest of the crew followed the captain’s lead.

**_ X _ **

  _EeeeeeEEEEEEeeeeeeEEEEEEeeeeee…_

Kobato opened the door to the medical room curiously and looked at the man standing guard. “Excuse me?”

“Yes, ma’am?” the marine asked her.

“The siren is going off. What’s going on?”

“Jailbreak, ma’am. It’s those pirates. We’re under a code red situation until they’ve been recaptured.”

Inside the medical room, Choppa gulped, shrinking down to Brain Point. Her shirt became a dress once again as the medical coat flopped off her.

“The brass thinks some of them are hiding in the base somewhere,” another marine added conspiratorially.

“I guess that means that Sora’s been rescued,” Choppa said quietly to herself, fiddling with her now-huge coat. “I suppose the others would be heading to the dock where the _Merry_ is.”

She let out another squeal of fear as the marines outside continued. “In fact, Lieutenant Commander Drake is sure that one of pirates is disguised as a med-lab doctor. Something about unauthorised personnel in the operating room.”

“Right, if you’re done operating we have to search the premises!” the other marine said vigorously. “Bloodthirsty pirates could be in there with you!”

Kobato gasped in horror and locked the door shut, much to the surprise of the marines. Then she turned and faced Choppa. “Blood… thirsty… pirates?”

Choppa started rapidly backing away, almost tripping over the oversized cloak.

Doctor Kobato started to walk towards the reindeer, who trembled. “I – well… Doctor, I… I guess I should have told you earlier…”

To Choppa’s surprise, Kobato proceeded to kneel next to her, grasping her hoof tightly. Apparently she hadn’t even noticed Choppa’s shift in forms. “Did you hear that? There might be bloodthirsty pirates in here. For all we know, you could be in danger! But don’t worry. I promise we’ll get through it.”

“Um…” Choppa said hesitantly. It didn’t even occur to her to lie. “Well, actually… that’s me. I’m one of the pirates they’re looking for.”

Kobato didn’t move. Her grip on Choppa suddenly seemed very rigid.

“Don’t you get it?” Choppa asked, inexplicably irritated. “I’m a pirate!”

Sweat started to sheen on Kobato’s face. “P-p-pirate?”

“Yes, but I won’t hurt you, I promise!” Choppa said immediately. “I’m a good pirate!”

Kobato was starting to tremble. Then, abruptly, threw back her head and screamed, her voice not as piercing as Sanae but with more genuine panic. “YOU’RE THE PIRATE?!”

Choppa shrieked, yanking her arms free.

The marines outside started attacking the door. “Doctor Kobato!”

Kobato swooned, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. She collapsed in a heap.

Frantically, Choppa looked around the medical room. She lunged for the window and slammed it open, before racing to one of the beds surrounded by a curtain.

Nervously, she hid under the bed, staring at the curtains fearfully.

The door crashed open as the marines successfully broke through.

“Doctor Kobato!” Both marines ran to the unconscious woman. One checked her vital signs as his partner went around the room, checking for the pirate.

When he opened the curtains to the bed Choppa was hiding under, he didn’t see the frozen reindeer, too terrified to tremble. It seemed to last an eternity before he moved onto the next bed.

“They must have gotten away!” he said finally, glancing at the open window.

“Get everyone you can,” his partner yelled, jumping to his feet. “They can’t have gotten far!”

Both grabbed their Transponder Snails as they fled the room, leaving Kobato with a pillow under her head.

As their footsteps receded, Kobato sat up. She looked around blankly. “Wh-what happened? Wh-where are you?”

Choppa squeaked, peering at her the wrong way from behind the curtains. “I’ll – I’ll come out but only if you promise not to scream.”

Kobato stared at her, shaking again. “You’re… you’re a pirate.”

Choppa glanced nervously at the open door before venturing out carefully. “I won’t hurt you, Doctor Kobato, I promise!”

“But… you… you were big before,” Kobato said, apparently only now registering the reindeer’s shapeshift. “How did you turn into a racoon-dog?”

“I’m a reindeer, you big dummy!”

Kobato cringed at the sudden outburst. Choppa immediately felt guilty for snapping, but she still couldn’t see how she looked like a racoon-dog. She pointed at her head. “See? I have antlers,” she said more gently. “I’m a reindeer.”

“I… yes, I see now,” Kobato said faintly. “But how did you change?”

“Oh. Like this.” Choppa obligingly turned into Heavy Point. Kobato started shaking again, so Choppa dropped back down into the less intimidating Brain Point. “I ate the human-human fruit once. It gave me the ability to transform.”

Kobato looked stunned.

Still, she didn’t seem inclined to scream. Cautiously, Choppa crept forwards, trying to sit out of view of the door. “I’m really sorry, Doctor Kobato, but the rest of my crew is probably waiting for me. I’m going to have to go soon.”

“Oh, it’s no problem, really,” Kobato said. She still sounded somewhat faint, but also was staying conscious which was always a plus. “I don’t think anything else much can surprise me.”

“Okay then. I’ll go now.” Choppa got to her feet.

“Wait! Doctor Reindeer!” Kobato held out a hand to stop the startled reindeer. “Even if you are a pirate and a magical reindeer, you’re still the only person who taught me what a doctor is really capable of. I’d like to thank you somehow.”

Choppa squealed, dancing in her oversized white coat. “Oh, that’s okay, you big meanie, it’s not like I need thanks and you saying that won’t make me happy or anything!”

Kobato was silent for a moment, before her eyes lit up. “You need to find the docks, right? I can show you the way if you’d like me to!”

Choppa bounced in delight. “Really? You mean it, Doctor Kobato? Thank you so much!” She stopped abruptly and blinked. “But… you’ll get into trouble for helping pirates.”

The older doctor looked slightly crestfallen at the reminder, before clapping her hands together as a plan occurred to her. “Oh! But if anyone finds out I can just scream and say you took me hostage!”

Considering that for a moment, Choppa nodded and grinned. “Perfect!”

**_ X _ **

 


	27. “Worrying About Annoying Stuff Like Traps is Annoying.”

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: “Worrying about annoying stuff like traps is annoying.”**

Luffi had wanted to go straight across the bridge, but Namizo yanked her back, forcing her under cover.

Usoppa peered out cautiously. “I don’t think they can see us from here.”

Sora nodded. “So what do we do next?” The question was directed at the group in general, and Usoppa was the one who answered.

“The path down there is the one we need to take to get to Dock Eighty Eight. That’s where they’ve hidden the _Going Merry_.”

“It’s covered in guards, though,” Namizo pointed out, looking at the land bridge. “We can’t just walk across.”

Luffi pointed to the upper half of the bridge. “What about up there?”

Navarone had a giant lake in the middle, and in the centre of that was the facility that housed the prison. The main facility and the central tower were connected by a natural land bridge, along with a man-made scaffolding bridge over the top. Despite the area below crawling with marines, the top one was dead silent.

There was a long moment of silence. “It _looks_ crossable,” Usoppa said finally.

“It does,” Sora agreed. “No guards? It’s almost like they’re inviting us up there.”

“Why would they do that?” Luffi asked. “I don’t really think that fortress guy is a nice guy.”

“It’s a trap, brainless,” Namizo said dully.

“A trap?!” Usoppa repeated in a squeak.

Luffi considered that, nodded, and pounded a hand into her fist. “Who cares? We’ve gotta get across, don’t we? I’m not scared. What about you guys?”

Sora grinned. “Worrying about annoying stuff like traps is annoying.”

The two looked at Namizo and Usoppa, who were gaping. “Are you two insane?” Usoppa asked incredulously.

“I don’t think so,” Sora shrugged.

“We’re not going,” Namizo said determinedly.

“But I said we are,” Luffi said. “You coming or what?”

“Sure,” Sora shrugged, running a hand over her katanas.

“Guys, we _can’t_ ,” Usoppa protested, her voice high with fear.

Namizo scowled at both of them, crossing his arms. “Don’t you _dare_ do something stupid like deliberately spring a marine trap.”

“What do you expect us to do?” Sora asked in exasperation. “We have to get across somehow and we’d be sitting ducks if we tried to swim, especially if we have to carry Luffi.”

“We’ll go on the other trail,” Namizo said firmly.

“You mean the one that _is_ crawling with guards?” Luffi asked curiously. “How is that any better?”

“Because they won’t be expecting us!” Namizo held up a finger in Luffi’s face. “And also, because whatever they have as a trap is probably their top force. The guys down below are just decoys trying to make us go the wrong way. We’ll still have to fight, but it’ll be _easier_ to beat these guys than all the others.”

Luffi considered that. She sighed. “I kinda wanted to go through the fun way, though.”

“Too bad,” Namizo said, relieved that she’d started showing signs of defeat. When Luffi was determined to follow through on a decision, she never showed any wavering. If she faltered like she did now, eight times out of ten she was listening to reason.

“Don’t know why you get to make all the decisions,” Sora grumbled, moving stealthily around the rock. “You’re not going to be doing any of the fighting, are you?”

“Why would I need to when we’ve got the two of you here?” Namizo asked brightly, shooting a grin at Sora. “Unless you think any of the lower-ranking marines down there are going to beat you.”

Sora knew she was being baited, but it didn’t stop the nettling from making her twitch. “Fine. Let’s go, then.”

Luffi and Sora led the way down to the lower bridge.

They stepped onto the rock. Sora drew her swords and Luffi cracked her knuckles. “You going to get out of our way or not?” the captain asked, an expectant grin on her face.

The marines stopped at stared at her in real horror. Namizo’s guess had been accurate; they were entirely expecting the pirates to go up top. Those on the lower bridge were there to make up numbers – most of them were still relatively new, few had any combat experience and several seriously considered running for it. They couldn’t tell if the pirates had been smart enough to smell a trap or dumb enough not to notice the empty pathway, but either way everyone knew that they were facing a combined bounty of one hundred and fifty million berries.

To their credit, no-one fled. They all charged at once in an unco-ordinated attacking movement. On less skilled opponents, the sheer amount of limbs might have overpowered them. On Luffi and Sora, they never got close. One solid Gum Gum Pistol was all it took to send the front wave powering back.

Sora leapt over the staggering opponents, her swords flashing. She left the front ones for Luffi, and turned her attention to the ones who were either brave or foolish enough to run for her.

There was no way for the swordsman to know it, but the main topic of conversation had been her and the discovery of ‘Roronoa Zoro’ being female. More than a few marines had doubted that a girl could have really earned that bounty, and that group had been speculating if she was the real Zoro or had somehow faked it. There was opposition to that theory, who were those who claimed that Roronoa Zoro was a monster in human form whatever their gender and deserved at least respect for a terrifying enemy. (There were also several marines who theorised the girl they caught wasn’t Roronoa Zoro, not because a girl couldn’t deserve that reputation but simply because the reputation described ‘him’ as male.)

Sora’s swordsmanship proved wrong any of the doubters. Everyone she fought on the bridge that day later agreed that the green-haired girl they met was well deserving of every rumour they’d heard. Whether a marine was defeated by Luffi or Sora, not one of them still maintained the belief that a girl couldn’t be a fighter.

“See, that wasn’t too hard, was it?” Namizo said as they left the bridge.

“Easy for you to say,” Sora grumbled. Technically the navigator was correct, but she still resented him for it.

“That was _fun_!” Luffi laughed, stretching out the kinks in her shoulder.

Usoppa looked nervously behind them. The upper level of the bridge was now crawling with marines, confirming that it had been a trap. None of them were looking happy as they sprinted for the staircase.

“Guys, let’s hurry up and get to Dock Eighty Eight, okay?” Usoppa said nervously.

The others glanced at the approaching marines. Neither Sora nor Luffi were intimidated by it, but obligingly left at Namizo and Usoppa’s pleas.

Usoppa led the way. She only made two wrong turns. Five times they ran into marines patrolling the corridor (Luffi took out four of them and Usoppa was proud to have hit the final one with a lead star).

“You’re sure it’s this way?” Sora checked.

Usoppa bit back her retort that Sora had no right to doubt her directions and instead nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure! Just around the corner!”

The Straw Hats obligingly turned.

The sniper was first as they entered the dock, and the first to skid to a stop. Behind her, the rest of them followed suit, stopping dead.

It must have been obvious that the Straw Hats would be running to the _Merry_ at some point. Commander Jonathon had decided that with a definite destination for the invading pirates, he could plan an ambush.

Over three hundred men and women stood in the dock. In every direction, including up, guns were pointed at the entrance the Straw Hats stood.

“We’re dead,” Namizo squeaked, going pale. “We’re dead we’re dead we’re so very very dead…”

Usoppa, meanwhile, was paling so much she looked at serious risk of fainting. All she could do was gape helplessly, and every few seconds was ambitious enough to try to get a gulp of air into her lungs.

Sora’s fingers curled around her swords as she glared at the men, trying to judge if it was even possible to take out that many at once. Maybe with the benefit of surprise, but it wasn’t as if any of them could have possibly missed the four pirates bursting in.

“To the front!” a man they recognised as Lieutenant Commander Drake ordered. At least three dozen marines all stepped forwards, dropping to one knee to point their guns at the Straw Hats. “Shooters, take aim!”

“No!” Usoppa gasped in horror. “No, _don’t_ take aim!”

Luffi shouldered her way into the front of her crew without another word. “Gum-Gum…”

“ _Fire!_ ”

“Balloon!”

Namizo, Usoppa and Sora crouched behind their captain as she expanded. Bullets slammed into Luffi, stretching her skin backwards and nearly impacting on the three she was protecting. Then her rubber body dropped back to its original form, rocketing the bullets back to the marines.

Only a couple of the rebound actually hit the watching marines, and none were permanent injuries. Most bullets harmlessly bounced against the back of the room, but the point was made. Straw Hat Luffi was bulletproof and was doing her best to extend that to her crew.

Drake didn’t look surprised. He only scowled more deeply and made a gesture with one hand. “Cannon Team Twelve – front!”

Five men carrying large barrel weapons on their shoulders replaced the previous shooters.

“Great,” Sora hissed, half-drawing a sword. “Bazookas.”

The weapons fired. Strangely square projectiles were fired at them, about the size of an average head. The projectiles landed perfectly in front of the Straw Hats.

For a long moment, nothing happened.

Namizo frowned. “They can’t all be duds-”

At that moment, the projectiles exploded. A blinding light filled the room, forcing the Straw Hats to cover their eyes.

“What _is_ this?” Sora snapped, closing her eyes against the sting as gas poured out.

“My eyes are burning!” Luffi shrieked, scrubbing at her face frantically.

“Those were flash bombs!” Usoppa yelled.

Drake’s voice cut over their protests. “Sword Unit, to the front! Attack!”

Namizo looked up from rubbing his eyes just in time to get a blurry glance at a large woman holding a gleaming sword. Desperately he threw himself backwards just in time. A small clump of red hair dropped to the ground, severed by the blade.

He hit the ground heavily. He looked up in fear as the marine brought down her sword again.

An explosion, aimed perfectly at her chest, knocked the woman off course and threw her into the still swirling smoke.

Usoppa stood next to Namizo, slingshot in hand and goggles pulled over her face. “No worries, I can see fine!”

“Not bad,” Namizo said, rubbing his eyes.

“You wanna borrow my spare goggles?” Usoppa offered, digging through her satchel.

“No, thanks. I think it’s probably a better idea to get rid of this fog entirely.” Namizo spun his ClimaTact in his hand. “Cyclone Tempo!”

The wind dissipated the remaining smoke, but couldn’t do anything about the lingering effects burning their eyes. It was still an improvement.

Sora slashed her swords through the air, her eyes still tightly closed as she perfectly blocked a cut from one of the marines. “Three Sword Style Dragon Twister!”

A total of eight swordsmen marines were thrown into the air by the move, with a further four being forced away from the powerful wind exuded by the blow.

She cautiously opened her eyes. “Huh. When’d the smoke fade away?” she asked through Wadou in her mouth. Feeling her eyes start to sting again, she closed them. “Whatever. Blinders won’t work on me anyway.”

Luffi was grinning as she ran towards a huge group of marines running towards her. “Gum Gum… _Gatling!_ ” Her fists shot out, so fast it looked as if she had a hundred arms, and sent the enemies flying backwards. “And… _Whip!_ ” she finished, throwing her leg out to the side and stretching it to hit all of the running marines.

The battle stilled as the combatants on the side were thrown off. The Straw Hats stood glaring at the marines, no hint of weakness in the pirate’s expressions despite the smile the captain was wearing. Usoppa and Namizo had strategically placed themselves behind the two stronger fighters, but were staring daggers at the marines nonetheless.

“Fire!” Drake ordered.

This time only one weapon shot, a perfectly aimed cannon to hit Luffi. Instead of cannonballs, it threw an expanding net that wrapped around her tightly.

Luffi was thrown backwards into Usoppa and Namizo, who caught her clumsily in the bundle she’d been forced into.

“I don’t feel so good,” Luffi mumbled woozily.

“Sea Prism Stone!” Namizo gasped, tugging at the net enveloping their captain.

The net didn’t budge. He glanced up, intending on asking Sora to cut through it, but held his tongue. Sora was standing with all three swords drawn, but was standing incredibly still to avoid provoking the marines.

It might have been a decent battle, but there was still no end to the marines waiting in ambush. There were still hundreds of guns pointed at them, and with their captain entangled, they had no defence against bullets.

“Don’t move,” Drake warned them, making sure the pirates knew exactly where they stood. “It says ‘Dead or Alive’ on your wanted posters. Here at Navarone, we tend to lean towards ‘alive’. However, if you continue to resist, we will be forced to take more permanent action.”

“I don’t even have a bounty poster!” Namizo protested hurriedly, standing up so Drake could see he wasn’t still trying to free Luffi.

“Yeah, me either!” Usoppa added hurriedly.

Sora, who had a (pseudonym) bounty and would not have argued even if she didn’t, stood stoically still and gave the marines her deadliest look.

“Make this easy and give up,” Drake ordered. “Escape is impossible from our base.”

Usoppa and Namizo obediently raised their hands.

Sora watched as the marines took aim and cursed under her breath. “We’ve got no choice,” she hissed, slowly sheathing her swords.

Right at that moment, a hospital bed being pushed by a doctor and a cook burst into the dock, running Usoppa over in the process.

**_ X _ **


	28. “I Kidnapped Her! She’s My Hostage! I’m A Pirate!”

Sanae was still climbing through the vents when the sirens went off. They reverberated worse inside the metal, causing the cook to cover her ears as she crawled, which in turn made her crawl turn more into a wormish wiggle.

“There’s been a breakout!” someone yelled in the corridor below her, shouting over the sirens. Sanae nudged a hand off her ear slightly in order to hear properly. “Straw Hat Luffi and one other member of her crew have broken into the prison!”

Sanae felt her stomach roll. Somehow, it hadn’t quite occurred to her that Luffi had no way of knowing she’d escaped and would try to rescue her anyway. But by the sounds of it, she hadn’t gotten caught, which was the important thing.

Another marine swore violently, starting to run. “She got Roronoa out?”

“And the long-nose girl! Come on, as Navarone marines our pride is at stake!”

“Have we got a description for the other helping the breakout?” another of the marines running past Sanae’s hiding spot yelled.

“A man with red hair and some kind of wooden staff!”

Sanae felt a stab of disappointment. Luffi had actually gotten Namizo to go with her. It would have been worth the humiliation of capture for the navigational prince to rescue her for it.

On the other hand, from the sound of it Sora had been caught too. If nothing else, Sanae intended on taunting her about _that_.

In all the commotion, she had gotten careless leaning over the grate. Her hand clanged against it as she pushed herself up again, just barely loud enough for someone to hear it over the siren.

There were only a few marines left. Still, at the noise a man running underneath glanced up for a split second, and stopped dead when he saw a shadow move. “There’s someone in the vents!”

“Crap!” Sanae swore as quietly as she could, trying to creep backwards without making a noise.

The cook couldn’t see anything below her, but she noticed when the grate was pushed up. A marine’s white cap poked out as the man struggled to climb in.

Sanae cursed mentally, silently adjusting herself. Her kicks would be hugely limited in the small space, but the marines probably couldn’t fight that well either. One good solid kick in the first guy’s face would send him down, and then she could leap out too. Once she was out she could decide on fight or flight.

Before she could land a kick, the man collapsed, falling back down from the chute without getting a chance to see her.

“Huh?”

She knew it was probably tempting fate to move back into sight, but she’d never been a big believer in superstition anyway. Cautiously Sanae peered over the grate to try and see the situation.

“I’m really, really very sorry,” the woman who seemed to be the cause of the collapse apologised. “I just came around the corner so fast – I’m sorry.”

It was hard for Sanae to make out the details, but it looked as if the woman had been pushing a hospital bed as fast as she could, which was now lying on its side. When she rounded the corner she’d presumably ploughed into the pyramid of marines (as this corridor had no helpful fixtures to climb, they’d ended up trying to push each other into the roof in a team effort).

“Well, watch where you’re going next time!”

“I’m really sorry!” the woman babbled, blushing deeply behind her glasses.

There was a slight movement from the upturned hospital bed, almost as if the lump under the covers wasn’t just a pillow. One of the marines curiously picked up the sheet to check.

A pair of brown eyes blinked back at him.

The man let out a shriek, throwing the covers away. The small human-reindeer let out a shout, shivering in her sundress.

“What _is_ that?”

“I dunno – looks like a racoon-dog.”

“I’m a reindeer!” Choppa yelled, jumping to her feet in anger. “See the horns, you stupid human?!”

“It can talk!”

Suddenly there were a dozen marine guns pointed at Choppa, who immediately started to quail. “I’m sorry…” she whimpered.

“What are you doing, doctor?!” one of the marines asked the woman incredulously.

“I… uh…” Kobato swallowed, her eyes wide. She knew she’d made a plan for this situation, but it had completely deserted her at the moment.

“It’s not her fault!” Choppa protested vehemently. “I… I kidnapped her! She’s my hostage! I’m a pirate!”

“Really?” One of the marines poked her with his gun, causing Choppa to squeal. “In that case-”

He never got a chance to finish that sentence. A black shoe slammed hard into his ribs, knocking him safely away from the reindeer, before another kick made him lose consciousness.

For a long moment, the marines could only stare. A blonde woman wearing a marine cook’s uniform had dropped from the vent they had been investigating only a few moments ago.

Sanae’s lip quirked in a smile, before she leapt into battle.

Less than a minute later, the last of the marines slumped onto the ground. Sanae glanced at the marine doctor watching with wide eyes, before turning to Choppa. “You okay?”

“Sanae!” Choppa breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you so much! I didn’t know what I was going to do! I didn’t want to get arrested!”

“It’s alright,” Sanae said with a smile. She liked _being_ rescued more than rescuing, but there was never any chance of her ignoring a crewmate who needed her. She paused, and turned to the woman still watching. “So who are you?”

“I-”

“This is Doctor Kobato,” Choppa introduced. “She’s helping me get to Dock Eighty Eight, which is where we think the _Merry_ is. Doctor Kobato, this is Sanae. She’s the cook on our crew.”

Sanae smiled at Kobato, giving her a slight curtsey in her stolen cook’s uniform. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“L-likewise,” Kobato squeaked.

Sanae guessed the woman was somewhat terrified of her – possibly due to the unconscious marines littering the ground around them – but she let it go. If Choppa trusted her not to start yelling for help, that was good enough for Sanae.

Choppa shifted to Heavy Point and picked up the bed, moving it around the unconscious bodies. Then she switched back to Brain Point and climbed on. “Doctor Kobato, would it matter if Sanae came with us to the ship?”

“Oh. Of course,” Kobato said, giving Sanae a weak smile.

The cook shrugged and adjusted her toque, which had gone askew but hadn’t fallen off in the fight. “Sure. What am I doing?”

“Just help me push this bed, please,” Kobato said, taking hold of one end. Choppa burrowed safely under the sheets again. “I’ll show us the way.”

Sanae shrugged again, walking over.

The two took off, hurtling through the marine corridors. They were going so fast that no-one had a chance to notice that Sanae’s stolen uniform had nothing to do with the hospital ward.

“Medical emergency!” Kobato shouted as a couple of marines jumped out of their way. “Coming through!”

“How far is it?” Sanae yelled to her, trying to keep her voice audible without being noticed by the other marines.

“Just around that corner!”

Sanae obligingly slowed a little to let it turn to the left, and they burst into the dock.

The entire platform was filled to the bursting with marines. Guns, swords and cannons were pointed at them from all directions.

Standing in the middle of the entrance was the other Straw Hats (excluding Roben). Specifically, Usoppa had been standing exactly where the bed had skidded to a stop, throwing the sniper to the ground heavily.

“What is going on here?” Sanae breathed, staring at the marines pointing their guns at them.

“About time you showed up,” Sora grumbled.

Sanae would have retaliated, but Choppa’s indignant shriek cut her off. “Usoppa!”

The reindeer leapt from the bed, dropping to where the injured sniper was lying on the ground. She switched to Heavy Point and picked up the long-nosed girl, cradling her gently.  “These are terrible injuries!” she shrieked, before glaring at the marines. “The navy did this to her?!”

“Technically no,” Sora began, but decided to let it go. Choppa could treat her just as well however she thought the injuries were caused – the only thing telling her the cause would do was make her feel guilty.

The marines were staring in shock. Finally, Drake swallowed and glared. “Identify yourself!” he ordered.

Kobato took a deep breath, opened her mouth, and screamed.

Compared to the sound that came from Sanae whenever it struck her fancy, Kobato’s scream was positively tame. The Straw Hats all glanced at her in surprise, but didn’t flinch from the high-pitched screech that echoed throughout the dock. The marines, in their turn, cringed, probably entirely unused to the sort of shriek that could be reached by human vocal cords.

“Help!” Kobato howled. “We’ve been kidnapped by bloodthirsty pirates and taken hostage! _Help_!”

“Doctor Kobato?” Sanae hurriedly interrupted. “We’re not going to hurt you, really. You just led us here, so we don’t really want to hurt-”

“Someone, please help!” Kobato shouted over Sanae’s interjections. “The _both of us_ are being held hostage by pirates! It wasn’t our fault!”

Kobato caught her eye, and winked.          

Sanae stared at her. “Huh?”

Namizo caught on first. He had absolutely no idea who the woman in the doctor’s coat was, but she was trying to get Sanae to conspire with her in claiming they were hostages. That was a good enough reason for him to play along.

The ClimaTact pressed against Sanae’s neck, effectively cutting off the cook’s attempts to quiet Kobato down. She blinked and glanced down, before glancing over her shoulder at Namizo.

Sure, it was nice that the navigator had chosen to stand so close to her, but Sanae couldn’t understand why he’d draped his weapon against her neck. In all honesty, the ClimaTact probably wasn’t even particularly useful in that position. “Uh, what-”

“Just play along,” Namizo hissed at her.

“Anything you say, Namizo!” Sanae swooned.

Kobato saw the scene, nodded, and redoubled her screaming. “Please! Someone! Help! Save us!”

“Um, Doctor Kobato?” Choppa asked hesitantly. “What-”

“This giant is one of the pirates and she kidnapped us!” Kobato screamed.

Choppa was on the verge of protesting that she didn’t, when it occurred to her that Kobato had already told her this was the plan. “Oh – oh! That’s right!” Choppa swung Usoppa over her Heavy Point shoulder to stand up straight. “Yeah! I’m a rough and tough member of the Straw Hats! Even crying babies stop squalling when they get a look at me!”

Sora wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but she started to clap her appreciation. It was nice to see Choppa angrily declaring herself as a pirate.

Choppa glanced at Kobato and Sanae, with the cook clearly still confused but accepting, and a new idea occurred to her. “Alright! You’d better do exactly as I say or these hostages are _doomed_! Make your soldiers stand down and let us board our ship!”

“Oh,” Sanae said, her eyes lighting up with realisation as she stopped trying to get a look at the ClimaTact pressed to her neck.

“I get it,” Sora said under her breath, letting a smile creep up on her face.

“Do it!” Choppa ordered forcefully. “Hurry up, before I snap these girls’ necks like twigs!”

“You’d better do it, you know,” Sora added helpfully. “If you haven’t seen before, the neck snap thing is really messy.”

“Choppa…” Luffi moaned, too tired to truly protest with her energy being stolen by Sea Prism. “That’s not helping…”

“Shut it, you!” Namizo snapped.

Sanae smiled at the marines. “Please, help. She’s a real monster,” she said sweetly.

Behind her, Namizo groaned, reflexively pushing the ClimaTact in a little harder. “Can’t you act a little more scared?” he hissed at her. “Scream or something, you’re good at that.”

Sanae almost swooned at the compliment. “Thank you!” she enthused, her voice too quiet to be heard by any marines.

Namizo elbowed her hard in the ribs. “Now!”

Not wishing to disappoint him, Sanae obligingly took in a deep breath and let out her best ear-splitting shriek. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! _HELP!_ ”

The more-practised cook easily outstripped Kobato’s shrill cries, her voice reverberating around the entire room. Several marines dropped their guns in favour of covering their ears.

“Shut up,” Sora grumbled.

Sanae stopped screaming and glared at her. She opened her mouth to snap back, but Namizo’s ClimaTact pressed tighter.

“Now, now, none of that,” Namizo whispered, loosening his grip slightly to allow the cook to breathe. “Prisoners don’t go from screaming to insulting the pirates in one second.”

“Namizo is so wise,” Sanae gushed.

On the other side of the dock, Drake’s fingers clenched. He’d seen how the swordsman had said something and noticed that the hostage had immediately quietened. Assuming the scream had cut off out of fear from a threat, he swallowed. “This is why I _hate_ pirates,” he snarled. “Cheating, cowardly scum, every one of them.”

“Sir, we can’t afford to risk the hostages,” one of his men advised him quietly.

Kobato let out another scream right on cue, that Sanae joined in after a nudge from Namizo prompted her. “She’s gonna kill us!”

Drake twitched, but nodded. “Yes, we can’t risk it,” he grumbled. He let out a breath of air, before storming forwards. “Fine! Have it your way!”

The marines stared at their superior officer in amazement.

“Stand down, now!”

Slowly, the marines started to lower their weapons. A path through them opened, giving the Straw Hats clear room to reach the _Merry._

“It actually worked?” Namizo said in surprise.

Sora calmly walked around the other pirates, reaching where Luffi was still tangled on the ground. She drew Wadou from her sheath and cut straight through the net. “Come on. Let’s go.”

“Thanks, Sora. But I can’t move…” Luffi mumbled.

Sheathing her sword again, Sora helped Luffi to her feet. The captain was still swaying, so Sora wrapped a rubber arm around her own shoulder and helped steady her.

“Now release the hostages!” Drake ordered.

 “You don’t give the orders around here!” Choppa shouted, so angrily it made Sora grin. “I do! I’ll let these hostages go when I’m good and ready!”

Drake growled. “You spineless…”

“Sir, Unit Seventeen is waiting on standby,” the marine behind him whispered.

“Good,” Drake whispered acknowledgement, and then raised his voice. “We won’t try to stop you! You’re free to go!”

“Very accommodating, aren’t they?” Sora said dryly, still supporting Luffi’s floppy body. Luffi’s arm started to stretch as she sunk closer to the ground, groaning. “Hey, hold it together, would you?”

Sora and Luffi walked first. Behind them was Choppa carrying Usoppa. Kobato walked behind the pirate doctor, with Sanae right beside her. Namizo followed up the rear, his ClimaTact still pointed at the ‘hostages’.

On either side of them, there were marines standing dead still. If it were possible for looks to kill, the Straw Hats would be lying on the floor before they’d reached halfway. Still, despite the glares, no-one was moving.

Or not. Sora didn’t let her head move, but her eyes caught on several marines quietly following them, slipping between the ranks of silent officers.

It had been far too much to expect the marines would let them board easily.

The swordsman dropped her speed a little, so that she and Luffi were even with the others. “We’ve got company. Run to the ship on my signal,” she murmured. Eyes glanced at her in acknowledgment of what she was saying. “Luffi, I’m going to need your help to get us out of this. You need to stretch your arms and get everyone on board.”

Sanae’s one visible eye trailed to the marines. Her face was a mask of blank emotion, but inside she was wondering how long it would take for one of them to remember that they had almost caught a pirate dressed as a cook. They probably knew Kobato was genuine military, though – that might make it more realistic.

One of the marines dropped her gun. The pirates stopped dead, turning to look at her. She smiled at them, holding up her hands in a gesture to indicate it wasn’t an attack. “Whoops, how clumsy of me,” she said, a phrase that sounded remarkably casual in light of the tense atmosphere.

“Pay attention!” Namizo snapped. “Make us jumpy and the hostages are going to be in real trouble!”

All attention was on the fumbling marine. No-one noticed a member of Unit Seventeen quietly creep up to where Sanae and Kobato were standing side-by-side.

He caught Kobato by the shoulder, wrapping a hand around her mouth to stop her from shrieking. Then he started to pull the resisting doctor into the sea of marines.

Sanae felt the movement. She glanced around and saw a man in a marine uniform reaching for her.

After all the time she’d spent as a pirate, her instinct was to fight off any marines that close. Without thinking she ducked aside from Namizo and slammed her foot high into the air, her shoe colliding with his jaw.

The man let out a gurgle, falling backwards with blood dripping from his face.

“You fool; he’s on your side!” Drake yelled.

In an instant Sanae seemed to realise that she might have just damaged her cover. She put her foot down and tried to adopt her best ‘damsel in distress’ pose, which was subpar compared to her scream. “Whoopsie,” she said, trying to blink innocently.

 Sora could see Drake’s suspicion starting to cloud his face and did the first thing she could think of to prove that her crewmate was actually a hostage. Drawing a sword, she spun around and placed it against Sanae’s neck, the blade mere millimetres from breaking skin.

Judging from the cook’s sudden stony expression, she had preferred the ClimaTact.

It wasn’t like Sanae was scared. She knew that the green-haired girl wasn’t about to cut her in cold blood. And as much as she liked to mock her crewmate on pretty much everything, Sanae knew how much control Sora had over the sword. The idea she might accidentally cut her was laughable. All things considered, the situation was much more annoying than scary.

“Couldn’t you look a little bit frightened?” Sora grumbled. She adjusted Luffi, still draped around her shoulder. “You’re being held hostage by pirates.”

Sanae glared at her. “Oh no,” she said flatly, no hint of emotion in her voice. “Someone. Help.”

Sora rolled her eyes.

“You promised that you’d let us go,” Namizo snapped at the marines, who were looking apprehensively at what they saw as a hostage situation. “You’d better not try anything like that again.”

“Hold on a second!” Drake barked, forcing his way to the front.

“Stay where you are or I’ll kill the cook,” Sora said lazily. Sanae had to bite her lip to keep her from snapping that she didn’t have a chance.

“Where’s _your_ cook?” Drake asked sharply.

The Straw Hats glanced at him.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Namizo blustered, trying to fight down panic.

“We studied your ship. We know you have a cook – one who we already arrested for being disguised as one of _our_ cooks. Where are they?”

“Uh…”

“Condoriano,” Sora said flatly. “Condoriano’s the cook.”

Sanae, Namizo and Choppa all gave her odd looks. Sora ignored them.

“And yet you left him in the prison?” Drake asked. He was slowly advancing on the Straw Hats, who were pretty well powerless to stop him if threatening Sanae wasn’t working.

“Yes,” Sora said bluntly. She wished Usoppa would hurry up and wake up. The sniper was a much better storyteller. She could probably come up with some kind of dramatic explanation as to why they apparently abandoned a crewmate.

The other Straw Hats were still looking confused, but they could see that apparently there was groundwork for this lie. They held back their questions.  In Luffi’s case, it was less perceptiveness and more the fact Sora stood on her foot when she opened her mouth to ask.

Drake stopped right behind Sanae, who still had Sora’s sword against her neck. “Then care to explain how a cook who escaped in transit ever reached the prison?”

Sora had no answer.

Sanae sighed.

In an instant Sora had withdrawn the blade. The moment she had enough room to move, Sanae leapt into the air, spinning around. Her foot collided heavily with Drake’s temple, throwing him away.

The marines let out a wordless roar of rage, both at the treatment of their superior and at being tricked. They all grabbed their weapons and were lunging for the Straw Hats when a huge creak sounded throughout the dock.

The _Going Merry_ was moving away from the dock. Somehow it had been released and was dropping back to the water.

“Luffi, now!” Sora ordered.

“Alright!” Luffi yelled, revitalised by the sight of their ship moving. She flung an arm backwards to wrap around Choppa, Usoppa and Namizo, her arm just brushing past Sanae. “Hey, Sanae! Grab on!”

“Huh?” Sanae glanced around and saw the long arm around her crewmates. Without hesitating she lunged forwards, grabbing it tightly.

“Hold on!” Luffi yelled, swinging her arm around.

Her arm hit the ship, pushing the rest of her crew with it. Sanae, being the only one to be holding on instead of dragged along, lightly dropped to the deck, while the others fell in a heap.

“Are they still alive?” Sora asked blankly.

“No idea!” Luffi said brightly. Her hand was still attached to the side of the ship as the other arm tightened around Sora. “Let’s find out!”

“Wait-!”

Luffi rocketed the two of them into the air. They slammed heavily down on deck. Almost immediately, Luffi bounced up again, while Sora decided to wait until the world stopped spinning.

Namizo got up, calmly walked over to the laughing captain, and slammed his fist into her temple. “ _Warn_ us, next time!”

“What’s the big deal? We got on the ship,” Luffi protested, rubbing her head.

Usoppa stumbled to her feet. “What’s… happening?”

“Oh, good, you’re awake,” Choppa said in relief. “We’re trying to escape.”

“Open fire!” Drake howled.

“Get us out of here!” Namizo ordered as bullets started whizzing overhead. “Luffi, protect the ship!”

Luffi laughed. “Okay!” she said cheerfully, running to the stern of the ship. She bounced into the air. “Gum Gum _Balloon!_ ”

Bullets starting going wild, most of them being sent backwards.

Sora and Sanae were already climbing the mast and dropping the sails. Wind filled the sails, letting them start to move.

“Usoppa, can you counterfire?” Namizo yelled.

Usoppa shook her head. “We’re too far for my sling to reach!”

“What about the canons?”

“I’m looking for cannonballs right now!”

“We’re still missing Roben!” Sanae dropped back to the deck.

“We can’t exactly sail around the lake in circles until he turns up!” Sora pointed out. She was learning to trust the archaeologist – her protest was a matter of practicality, not a suggestion that they leave him behind.

“We haven’t got a way out of the lake though, anyway!” Namizo shouted.

Luffi dropped back to her regular size as they left the range of bullets. “Yeah! We’re finally getting out of here!”

Back on the dock, Drake was clutching his spyglass so hard it broke in his fingers. “Someone, get orders to those manning the cannons! I want that ship sunk! And I want the ships ready to sail!”

“Yes, sir!”

Drake stopped dead as a thought occurred to him, and then marched over to where the maintenance staff were still standing. “What were you thinking, letting the ship go?!” he demanded, glaring. “You had to have been the reason that they got out of the dock!”

Mechao didn’t move, meeting his glare with a quirked eyebrow. “I was thinking I wasn’t about to let Kobato be killed by a bunch of pirates because you wanted to play gung-ho.”

“Daddy!” Kobato pushed through the crowd of marines.

Mechao turned to the young doctor and beamed. “See, now that’s how I like to see my little girl. Safe and sound. Are you okay, Kobato?”

“I am now.”

“You’re going to be thrown in the brig for this mess you’ve created, old man!” Drake swore.

Mechao didn’t flinch. “Ah, do your worse. I wasn’t going to sit back and let my daughter be collateral damage.”

“Kobato had been rescued!” Drake snapped. “She was in no danger!”

“And what about the other girl?” Mechao challenged.

“She was a pirate!” Drake shrieked in anger.

“Yeah, but you didn’t know that and when you tried to rescue her it blew up in your face.”

“It didn’t work because she-”

“You’ve clearly demonstrated that you botch up your rescues! I wasn’t willing to risk my daughter!” Mechao shouted over the blaring siren. “Officers can’t consider other people as expendable! You should learn a thing or two from Commander Jonathon!”

Back on the _Merry_ , Namizo was carefully directing the ship. Choppa in Heavy Point was the one pushing the tiller, listening to the navigator’s directions.

“Why are we hugging the cliff?” Sora grumbled. “Wouldn’t it be faster to go through the middle?”

“But then we’d have cannons blasting us from both sides!” Namizo snapped.

Usoppa was rapidly trying to judge the angles of the cannons. They seemed to be taking a long time to swivel into place – probably because most pirates never reached the inside and so the cannons were facing almost exactly opposite. “I think we’ve only got about twenty more seconds before they start firing at us.”

“Great. And what good is it to be here without maps or charts?” Namizo grumbled. “We were better off with you in jail.”

Sanae was watching the cannons when her eyes brightened. “ _Roben!_ ” she squealed, standing on tip-toes to wave.

The archaeologist was swinging towards them. His arms had multiplied into one long chain, allowing him to use it as a long rope.

“Now _that’s_ a guy with style,” Sanae swooned.

Roben landed gracefully on the ship. He smiled. “I figured it was about time you were leaving.”

“How’d you know that?” Usoppa asked in surprise.

Roben pointed at the facility, his hands dissolving into the average number. “The alarms are going off and the entire base is panicking that you’ve escaped.”

“Oh. Right.”

“Mr Navigator?” Roben walked up to the redhead leaning on the bow of the ship. “I obtained something that might be of use to you.”

“Huh?” Namizo took the scroll Roben was offering and unrolled it. His eyes brightened. “A map of the fortress!” Careful not to damage the precious map, he hugged the older man. “Thank you! You just gave us a way to escape!”

“I thought you might enjoy it,” Roben said, unresisting to the embrace as Namizo pulled off again.

_Boom!_

“They’re shooting at us!” Luffi yelled.

“They got the cannons working!” Usoppa howled.

“We knew it was a matter of time,” Sanae said, watching as another cannonball hit the water barely a meter from them.

“Did we also know they’d be sending warships after us?” Usoppa shrieked, seeing white sails behind them.

“We probably could have guessed,” Sora said vaguely, climbing aft to check on the marines chasing them.

“Okay!” Namizo scanned the map hurriedly. “According to this we’re just around the corner from the Sea Gate! Choppa, turn left and be ready to follow my orders _exactly_!”

“On it!” Choppa yelled, forcing the ship around.

“Usoppa, have you found the cannonballs yet?”

“No!”

“No?!” Namizo repeated furiously.

“We haven’t got any cannonballs or gunpowder!” Usoppa shouted.

“The ship was captured,” Roben said thoughtfully. “The marines must have confiscated them.”

“But that’s the base’s only way out! If we want to get out we’re going to have to break through the gate!”

“I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do!” Usoppa protested.

“No worries!” Luffi said. Her characteristic smile was in place, her eyes alight with a plan that, historically speaking, was either going to be brilliant or idiotic (and on occasion had been known to be both). “I’ve got an idea!”

The captain ran to the front of the ship, climbing with practised ease onto the figurehead. Instead of sitting down, she stood waiting, watching as every cannon loaded next to the gate turned on them – about forty in all.

For a long moment she stood there. The entire ship seemed to hold its breath, waiting.

The cannons fired.

Luffi bounced into the air, holding her breath and expanding as she did so. “Gum Gum Balloon!”

She had managed to catch every single one of the cannonballs. The force of it threw her backwards, pressing her into the sails.

Luffi grunted with pain, and then the cannonballs ricocheted off, heading straight towards the locked gate.

_Ka-BOOM!_

“You did it!” Namizo shouted, punching the air in delight.

Luffi landed clumsily on the deck. “I hit it! Great!”

“It worked!” Usoppa cheered.

“We’re still inside the lake, remember!” Sora yelled. “We can celebrate later!”

The smoke started to clear, revealing the open ocean. The _Merry_ started to sail forwards.

Luffi took the time to run to the back of the ship, climbing onto the stern. She could just get a glimpse of the warships still there, but could guess that the marines were staring at them in horror.

Cheerfully, Luffi waved at them. “It’s been fun, but we’re going to go now! We’ll see you around!” she yelled, as the ship sailed forward and to freedom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s the end of the Navarone arc. It was fun. I hope you enjoyed that.  
> For that matter, we’re getting pretty close to the end of the fic. Just two more chapters that are actually kinda short-ish. In the countdown.


	29. “Brawling In Public Can Be Considered An Offense.”

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: “Brawling in public can be considered an offense.”**

Sanae absently walked through the markets, inspecting what they had on offer. She’d been through the shopping district on this island just an hour earlier, but that was for food supplies. Now she was shopping for herself.

The Straw Hats had all gone off shopping, after strict warnings from Namizo that the island was home to a navy base and they were not to make any trouble. The navigator had then been generous enough to give them all an allowance to make their purchases – and of course the rest of the crew (with the exception of the splendid Roben) were ungracious cretins to complain about the amount sweet Namizo had deemed acceptable.

Sanae fingered a couple of cooking utensils thoughtfully, but decided against them. They looked fancy, but on closer inspection were clearly bad quality. They couldn’t handle any of the more exotic dishes the _Merry_ saw, like Sea King or maybe dinosaur again.

The blonde cook moved past a couple of stalls before curiously pausing at one selling shoes. She picked up a pair of high-heeled boots on display and looked at them.

“You have a good eye,” the woman behind the counter told her. “Those would look great on you.”

The cook was fairly picky about her footwear. It wasn’t necessarily a fashion choice – although she did take pride in her appearance – it was a practical choice. After all, her fighting style was pretty much solely comprised of using her feet. It was too easy to injure herself wearing floppy, strappy shoes.

The boots didn’t look floppy, though. They went halfway up the shin, and had a four-inch heel. By the feel of it, they were pliable enough that she wouldn’t stub her toes into the tips with every kick, but still sturdy enough that the full impact would be just as filtered as her normal dress shoes.

“Can I try these on to decide?” Sanae asked the shopkeeper.

“Oh, of course,” the woman hurriedly agreed.

Sanae swapped her shoes and inspected the new pair thoughtfully. They actually looked pretty good on her, and the black matched her style. Plus, she’d been meaning to get a new pair of dressier shoes for a while now, ever since she’d started wearing through the sole of her last pair.

She’d only rarely had an occasion to walk in high-heels before, but she had excellent balance. It only took a few steps before she’d gotten the hang of it.

“They look absolutely stunning on you,” the shopkeeper told her.

“Yeah, I guess.” Sanae bent her foot to the side slightly, and then decided. “How much are they?”

It took a couple of minutes of haggling, but it wasn’t long before Sanae continued walking through the street, her old shoes in her hand to give her new ones a chance to break in.

The markets started to grow more sparse as she walked, getting closer to the edge of town, the road getting wider. Sanae rounded a corner and stopped dead at the sight of marine flags in the distance.

Shrugging, Sanae turned to go back. There was no reason to keep going if the marine base was that way, and the lovely Namizo had warned the crew not to get too close.

…Which apparently the moss-headed swordsman was having difficulty with.

Sanae stopped and glared as she recognised the girl leaving the bar just up the street, her three swords clinking together as she wiped her mouth with her hand.

“What are you doing?”

Sora’s smile dripped off her face at the familiar voice. She looked around to see Sanae watching her, irritated about some stupid reason or another. “I was getting a drink. What does it look like?”

“If you want to destroy your liver, I’m sure you could manage that a little further from the marine base,” Sanae told her, pointing at the navy building.

Sora glanced over her shoulder and then raised an eyebrow at the cook. “What, has the fact you’ve only got one eye screwed up your depth perception? It’s miles away.”

 “Just because you would make twenty wrong turns going down the street, doesn’t mean that the marines couldn’t get here the direct way,” Sanae countered.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sora snapped.

“It means that you’re a dumbass who let her guard down in easy distance of a military base! You’ve already been arrested once this week, remember?”

“Getting a drink isn’t the same thing as letting my guard down,” Sora growled, her fingers clenching around a sword. “And just because _you_ would be beaten the moment they noticed you, doesn’t mean that I’m that weak.”

“ _What_ did you just say?”

“You heard me!”

“That’s it!” Sanae snapped, dropping her old shoes on the ground. She lunged forwards, her new boots flying towards the swordsman.

Sora’s swords were in her hands in a moment, blocking the kick.

“Oi, you two!”

“What?!” both Straw Hats snapped at the same time, turning to glare at the man who interrupted them with Sanae’s foot still pressing against Sora’s sword.

The man who’d interrupted was glaring at them in a no-nonsense manner under his military cap, his arms folded. The rest of the navy patrol stood behind him.

All in all, there were a total of twelve marines, every one of them watching them suspiciously.

Sanae gave Sora an ‘ _I told you so_ ’ glare. Sora’s upper lip curled.

“You two had better consider your actions,” the marine told them, glaring at the two girls. “Brawling in public can be considered an offense. If you must fight, take it somewhere else.”

Slowly, Sanae brought her leg down. Sora resheathed her swords, glaring at the marines all the while.

“Well, we certainly wouldn’t want to break any laws,” Sanae said flatly. She gave a sharp look at Sora, and then started to walk off.

“Wait a minute!” one of the marines barked.

Sanae paused and glanced over her shoulder. “What?”

The marine who had talked looked at superior officer leading the patrol, pointing at Sora. “That one has three swords, sir.”

Sora glanced at her hip and raised an eyebrow. “Well done. I’m glad to see that marine training allows you to count to three.”

“Are you Roronoa Zoro?” the superior officer asked abruptly.

Considering that question for a moment, Sora shrugged. “That depends on who you ask,” she answered honestly.

“Answer the question,” another marine snapped, folding her arms. “Are you or are you not the pirate on Straw Hat’s crew? The one with a sixty million berry bounty?”

Absently, Sora wondered what it was the marines were looking so confused about. Did they doubt that a girl could be a good swordsman, or were they just surprised that ‘Roronoa Zoro’ was in fact a girl? (Although they probably would have heard the rumours – Sora could see no logical reason Navarone wold have kept quiet about the matter.)

Somewhat to her surprise, she realised she didn’t care as much anymore if people thought her pronouns had any effect on her swordsmanship. It still bothered her, but not to the same extent it would have once.

“Yeah. I am. So?”

Sanae groaned. “Oh, admit to being a pirate – _that_ ’s a good idea, moss-head.”

Sora smirked. “You’re just jealous because they’ve heard of me while _you’re_ a complete unknown.”

“Me, jealous of you?!”

The marine interrupted, glancing between the two arguing Straw Hats. “Am I to understand both of you are pirates?”

Sanae briefly considered trying to bluff her way out.  But even if the moss-head wouldn’t give her away, she had no intention of trying to skulk away from the fight that Sora was clearly about to get into. Sanae let her lips twitch upwards in a smirk. “And what if we are?”

In a moment a dozen guns were pointed at them.

Pulling out one of her cigarettes from her pocket, Sanae glanced around. Sometime during the conversation the marines had spread out in a circle around the two girls, cutting off any chance of them running.

“Surrender peacefully,” the superior marine ordered. “We have you surrounded.”

Sanae snorted in laughter, lighting her cigarette. The marines exchanged nervous glances.

Sora let her face break out into a grin. “Surrounded, huh?” the swordsman repeated, amused. Her fingers brushed against her three swords. “You really think that’ll help?”

“ _FIRE!_ ”

The two pirates didn’t even glance at each other. Despite their differences, they’d been in enough battles together to know how the other worked. And both knew they didn’t need to interfere in the other’s fight – they could take care of themselves.

Sora ran for the pirates on the right of the circle, putting her sword into her mouth as she did so. Effortlessly she dodged to the side of the bullets, reaching the marines without so much as breaking step.

In the meantime, Sanae sprinted for the marines on the left, avoiding the gunshots with practised ease. The moment she judged herself within range, she dug her right boot into the ground, using it as a base as she spun her left foot around to collide with a marine’s chest.

It wasn’t the fanciest manoeuvre she knew. In truth, it was one of her most basic kicks, one she’d done a thousand times before.

But this was the first time she’d ever kicked hard with high-heels on. It felt like she’d stabbed into a half-baked cake with her foot.

Instead of throwing him, the heel dug deep into the marine’s chest, sinking past the skin. The marine’s eyes filled with pain and he let out a tortured yell.

Sanae felt her breath stop, but there wasn’t a chance to do anything. In the corner of her eye she could see another marine running towards her, her sword out. The pirate spun around, bringing her leg up to defend herself.

She’d kinda assumed that the heel would withdraw when her foot did, leaving her bloodied but free. Much to her surprise, however, the marine was dragged with her.

Her legs were easily strong enough to take the weight. Without pausing to think she held her foot up, the gurgling man attached to her foot.

“She’s using Private Bain as a shield!” one of the men shrieked.

“You can have him back,” Sanae muttered.

Zeff had mainly taught her to balance on her right foot and kick with the left. However, since that wasn’t an option at the moment, Sanae slammed her foot and ‘Private Bain’ onto the ground. Her left heel still attached to his body, she spun around, kicking out with her right foot and hitting the nearest marine square in the chest.

This time, she hit with the side of her foot to avoid impaling again, only throwing the man away from her. However, the foot still stuck into Bain’s chest cracked alarmingly, a nasty _snap_ coming from her ankle.

Sanae suddenly couldn’t support her own weight. She dropped to the ground, gasping in pain.

One of the marines seized her chance, hurtling forwards to hit the downed girl. With her uninjured right foot, Sanae kicked upwards as hard as she could. Her foot collided with the woman’s chin, throwing her backwards.

Hoping that she’d be safe for a moment, Sanae reached for her foot and tugged experimentally on the shoe. It didn’t budge, but her ankle screamed in protest and the unconscious man had a spasm.

The man didn’t look good, although he was breathing. Still, even if Sanae had Choppa’s knowledge she didn’t have time to feel guilt over attacking an enemy. She pulled her body nearer her foot, and frantically started to untie the laces.

Sanae kicked herself free of the shoe. For a second she caught a glimpse of her foot, as red as the crap-geezer’s must have been in his day.

Then she expertly dropped into a handstand, spinning around upside down to kick with her uninjured foot on the three marines running for her. The heel grazed shallow cuts into the skin of the attackers, but nothing serious for either sides of the fight.

After a few seconds Sanae flipped around, intending on landing in an upright position. However, the moment she tried agony pierced up from her ankle and she folded, hitting the dirt.

The cook glanced up, trying to judge how many more enemies were there. To her mixed annoyance and relief, there weren’t. The rest of the marines were already on the ground, bleeding from newly inflicted and probably non-fatal sword strokes.

Sora sheathed her swords, giving an annoyed look at where Sanae was sitting in the dirt. “You going to stay there all day?”

Sanae glared at her, and tried to get up. She was confident that this time she could ignore the pain long enough to get to her feet.

She was wrong. Her ankle gave out and the cook dropped to the dirt, swearing violently in a most unladylike fashion.

After a few seconds she became aware of Sora watching her. There was a flicker of concern in the swordsman’s expression, which only served to infuriate Sanae further.  “What?” she snapped.

“Yours?”

“My _what_ , marimo?”

“Blood,” Sora elaborated, gesturing to Sanae. “Is it yours?”

“Huh?” Sanae looked down at herself and realised what it must look like. Blood had soaked through her shoes, drenching her foot red with splatters all the way up her legs. To add to the picture, she was clutching one of ankles, clearly unable to walk on it. “No. His.” She jerked her thumb at the unconscious Private Bain.

The black boot was still impaled in his chest. It would have been almost comical if it wasn’t for the dark patch creeping along the white shirt. Although high-heels weren’t really the crap-geezer’s style (and Sanae now had a good idea why), the shoe still looked more like it belonged to Zeff than his apprentice.

Much to Sanae’s relief, the traces of concern in Sora’s eyes vanished. “Then get up, dumbass cook,” she said sharply. “The navy’ll be crawling over the place in a minute.”

Sanae glared at her and moved to push up again, before a violent throb from her ankle stopped her trying. Reluctantly she let herself fall back again. “I can’t,” she muttered.

“What?”

“I said I _can’t_ , alright?” Sanae snapped at her. “I think I broke my ankle,” she added sullenly.

The cook took a moment to consider if she preferred the previous concern or the current amusement spreading over Sora’s face. On the whole, she decided amusement was better, although it was a close one.

With a shrug, the swordsman walked forwards. Her fingers curled around the back of Sanae’s shirt and Sora started to drag her off, ignoring the blonde’s startled shout and subsequent curing.

“Put me down; I’ll do it myself!”

“You can’t even stand,” Sora pointed out.

“I’d rather crawl,” Sanae grumbled.

Sora didn’t falter, her grip still strong around the cook’s shirt.

Sanae groaned. “Where are you even taking me to, anyway?”

“The ship,” Sora said, as if it should be obvious.

“Oh, for – if you insist on dragging me, at least go in the _right_ direction, moss-head! This is the _opposite_ of back to the ship!”

The two pirates stop dead. Sanae craned her neck to get a look at the girl dragging her, and was pleased to note that her cheeks had coloured.

Sora turned around, forcibly dragging Sanae around in her circle and probably going out of her way to jolt the injury.

Sanae suppressed a gasp and forced her face into a smirk. “You’re getting closer,” she said in the most-mocking, least-pained voice she could make. “But you’re not there yet. Turn a couple more degrees.”

Sora hissed a couple of words that were by no means new to Sanae, before successfully walking off in the right direction. Sanae was amused to note how hesitant she was in the first few steps, as if waiting for another correction. When she didn’t receive one, they moved off more confidently.

The cook managed to grab her discarded old pair of shoes as she was dragged past where she left them.

They got through town without incident, excluding the stares they got from every direction. A couple of good Samaritans asked if Sanae was okay, seeing the blonde girl coated in blood, to which both pirates roughly said that she was fine.

On the walk, Sora didn’t seem to take any apparent care to avoid jolting Sanae’s injury, but somehow managed to avoid the worst areas of the road without appearing to do so. Sanae wouldn’t have complained either way.

The cook still thought that she could have made it back to the ship alone eventually, but she also had to grudgingly acknowledge the help. Her vague gratitude didn’t completely halt her insults, but she tempered her tongue somewhat and tried to give somewhat civil directions whenever it became clear that the swordsman had no idea where she was going.

Being a pirate ship on an island with a marine base, they hadn’t docked in the port. Instead, they’d weighed anchor at a deserted beach that had stayed just as uninhabited since they’d last been there.

Sora easily dragged Sanae through the sand, before pausing at the side of the ship. She glanced at the ladder to the deck, and then at the cook.

Before Sanae got a chance to say anything, Sora picked her up and flung her over her shoulder.

“Hey!”

“Stop wiggling or you’re going to fall,” Sora said vaguely, starting to scale the ladder.

“Good!”

Sora ignored her protests, landing lightly on the deck.

With less care than recommended, but more care than Sanae had expected, Sora pulled the older girl off her shoulder and placed her on the deck.

Sanae rubbed her ankle, glancing away from her crewmate. “…Thanks, moss-head,” she grumbled reluctantly.

Sora shrugged wordlessly, acknowledging the thanks. Then the swordsman turned and headed into the ship, leaving Sanae on the deck.

The cook was just beginning to plan how she was going to get into the kitchen when a yelp ran out over the deck.

“Sanae’s hurt?!” a familiar reindeer’s voice shrieked. Within a moment hoofprints beat onto the deck as Choppa ran out, not waiting for Sora’s reply.

“Hey, Choppa,” Sanae said in resignation as the doctor skidded to a stop next to her.

Choppa took one look at the bloodied mess that was Sanae’s foot, and proceeded to let out a horrified shout. “Somebody call a doctor!”

“It’s not really as bad as it looks, that’s not my blo-”

“Oh wait! _I’m_ a doctor!” Choppa realised.

“Seriously, it’s not my blood. I just hurt my ankle-”

Choppa wasn’t listening, already inspecting the injury. Sanae gave up on trying to explain it, trusting that the doctor would realise how bad it was on her own.

Letting her friend take care of her ankle, Sanae reached around to her uninjured foot and began to tug the boot off. The other half of the pair was lost and probably ruined with blood anyway. Besides that, she didn’t really think she wanted to wear this style again anytime soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to have at least one adventure that was entirely due to the genderbend (although I do love the various headcannons that Sanji decided he likes high-heels after he learnt to wear them, but I imagine Sanae would try them on much earlier in life. Also, while I’m talking about that comparison, Sanji had better teachers for high-heels. Sanae might have been taught high-heels some years ago, but probably never learnt how to fight in them, and thus had the problem outlined in this chapter).   
> Second-to-last chapter. Next one will be final.  
> Let me know what you think!


	30. "Something To Make Sure She Knows We Don't Care If She's A Girl"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter! Sorry it’s a little short.

Sora hated being on watch. It wasn’t as if she _couldn’t_ sleep in the crow’s nest, but her hammock in the boy’s room was much more comfortable. Not to mention Namizo was always lecturing her about napping on watch, which was stupid, since she didn’t have to be awake to know if someone was on board.

Case in point: she stirred slightly as her instincts warned her that someone was walking around on deck. She settled back as she realised it was a crewmate – figuring out which one or even how many would require waking up more, which quite frankly didn’t seem worth it.

Her lack of interest meant that the swordsman didn’t know that below her, the entire crew were running through the last-minute details of their plan. In fact, her internal clock was also being derailed by her current state of sleep, meaning that she had no way of knowing that her shift had finished five minutes ago.

“Isn’t she coming down?” Luffi asked impatiently.

“She’s probably asleep,” Usoppa theorised.

“Figures,” Sanae grumbled, taking a breath of her cigarette.

“She’d better not be sleeping on watch,” Namizo growled. “ _Again._ ”

Roben glanced at Usoppa. “It’d seem fairly natural if you woke her, Miss Longnose. Don’t you have the next shift on watch?”

“Yeah, okay,” Usoppa agreed. “Everyone hide.”

The two boys climbed into their room, tucking themselves into their hammocks. The girls (excluding Usoppa and Sora) took refuge on the deck as the sniper climbed the rigging.

“Sora, wake up.” Usoppa shook the swordsman awake. “It’s my turn on watch.”

“Huh?” Sora asked sleepily, sitting up. “Okay.” Yawning, the swordsman started to climb down the mast. “Good night.”

“Good night,” Usoppa called down after her.

Sora could sense other crewmates hiding around the deck – that sounded like Luffi’s giggle from the balcony – but she wasn’t coherent enough to care. Instead, she climbed into the boy’s room, passing by where Namizo and Roben were lying with their eyes closed. Tiredly, she changed into her pyjamas and gratefully crawled into her hammock.

She was asleep within moments.

After a little over a minute of listening to the girl’s breathing become deeper, Namizo sat up. Quietly, he slipped back outside and beckoned the girls into the room.

Usoppa, Choppa, Sanae, and Luffi all entered after him. Roben was already slipping out of his bed, carefully approaching the sleeping swordsman.

“Are you guys sure she won’t wake up?” Usoppa asked nervously.

Sanae gave her an annoyed look. “This was _your_ idea.”

“It was Roben’s idea to do something to make sure she knows we don't care if she's a girl in the first place,” Usoppa corrected, then paused thoughtfully. “Although I am rather brilliant,” she added.

“Usoppa’s got a point, though,” Namizo said. “Choppa, you’re _sure_ she won’t wake up?”

“Yep!” Choppa said, nodding. “I’ve been watching, and Sora only wakes up if someone’s in trouble. As long as she doesn’t sense that she, or any of us, are in danger, she’ll stay asleep.”

Usoppa glanced at her. “Not to rain on your theory, Choppa, but I can name plenty of times that she’s slept through danger.”

“That’s different,” the doctor said confidently. “If we’re in a storm or something, she’ll wake up if something is directly about to hit her, like if a barrel goes flying. And if you look closely when Sanae kicks her awake, her eyes open _just_ before the point of impact, but when she tries to move Sanae reflexively adjusts for that and hits her anyway.”

“That’s cool,” Luffi said admiringly. “I’ve never seen her do that. Sanae, could you show me?”

“Could I kick the dumbass moss-head for entertainment? Sure.”

“Your ankle’s still healing!” Choppa argued immediately.

“I’m fine,” Sanae protested. “That was weeks ago-”

“Shut up!” Namizo hissed. “I don’t care if you think she won’t wake up, let’s not test it.”

The Straw Hats quietened.

Usoppa walked over to the head of the hammock, her bare feet treading silently on the floor. Carefully she began to undo the knot holding the bed to the wall. Luffi stood next to her, fingers on the actual hammock to stop it from dropping.

On the other side, two hands had bloomed from the wall, gently easing the other knot out. Choppa was standing in Heavy Point, her fingers digging into the gaps of the hammock to hold her.

After a few moments, the knots came off. Sora’s hammock dropped abruptly, before being caught by Choppa and Luffi. The sleeping swordsman didn’t stir.

Treading as quietly as they could, Luffi and Choppa took a step towards the door.

Sora fussed slightly. The entire crew froze.

“Get her swords,” Sanae hissed.

“What?” Usoppa looked at her blankly.

“She always notices if someone moves her swords away – it’ll probably be the same if it’s in reverse,” Sanae advised.

The sniper hurried to obey. Gently she collected the blades, balancing them in her arms, and stepped softly to bring them nearer.

Sora settled.

“I can’t believe that worked,” Namizo whispered incredulously.

Treading quietly, Luffi leading the way and with Usoppa trying desperately to keep the distance even, the Straw Hats slipped out of the boy’s room with their sleeping crewmate.

Sora didn’t react as they touched into the cold night air, still sleeping peacefully.

Getting her down the hatch into the girl’s room was the trickiest part of the mission. Usoppa, Namizo and Sanae climbed down first, after Usoppa handed the swords over to Roben. Choppa and Luffi gently dangled the hammock into the hatch. Sora’s legs grazed against the edge, but it just barely fit. Then a chain of arms curled around the edges of the hammock. More and more hands lengthened the chain, bringing her closer to the ground. A second, smaller chain dropped beside it, keeping the swords at an even distance.

Sanae, Usoppa and Namizo grabbed hold of the hammock, holding it steady as the other three climbed down to join them. They took hold of the mobile bed, picking their way around the room to the area that had been set up for her while Sora was on watch.

Picking around the swordsman’s belongings that had been recently relocated to the girl’s room, the Straw Hats lifted the hammock up. Roben’s numerous arms reached around, expertly knotting both sides to the edge. In relief, the Straw Hats stepped away from the bed.

Sora slept on, completely unaware that she’d been neatly kidnapped by her crew.

“Congratulations,” Roben said, glancing at the four conscious girls. “You now officially have a new roommate.”

Sanae wrinkled her nose with distaste, an expression that was probably more for show than any real discomfort. When they’d first come up with the plan, she’d put up a token huff at sharing a room with the swordsman – which Namizo had quickly shut down by asking if the cook would prefer he and Roben have to deal with her. Despite that, Sanae didn’t really care that much, and couldn’t imagine the new arrangements would have too big of an impact.

A few days earlier, Roben had commented that although mostly the female swordsman appeared to be completely comfortable in her skin, it might reassure her to have some kind of gesture to prove the others were fine with the new information. The others had agreed, and Usoppa had suggested moving her into the girl’s room.

It had seemed like a nice and simple way of telling the swordsman that they were perfectly accepting of her being a girl.

“Well… goodnight,” Namizo said finally, turning around. He climbed up the ladder out of the room, with Roben following him.

The girls glanced at the newest edition to their room, before quietly getting changed into nightclothes and climbing into their own beds.

Slowly, the five girls drifted off to sleep.

**_ X _ **

Sora could hear movement going on just outside her bed. That in itself wasn’t entirely unusual, but it felt like there were too many people in the room. Especially since Roben generally tried to keep quiet while Sora was still sleeping, and that sounded like a lot of noise for just Namizo.

Sleepily, Sora sat up, yawning.

“About time you woke up,” Sanae said impatiently. She was standing in the corner of the room at the mirror, running a brush through her long blonde hair.

Sora looked at her blankly. “What are you doing here?”

The swordsman looked around the room. Usoppa was neatly making her bed – at least as well as one _could_ make up a hammock. Choppa was tying a yellow ribbon to her antler, her hooves being surprisingly agile as she tied the bow. Luffi had apparently half-fallen out of bed last night, her rubber legs staying tangled in the hammock which she was currently trying to unknot.

The four girls seemed remarkably casual about the unexpected situation. Almost unnaturally casual, as if they were purposely trying to act like this was what happened every day.

“Okay. What am _I_ doing here?” Sora asked finally.

“Well, you are a girl,” Usoppa pointed out, glancing at her with a grin. “We figured you might as well sleep in the girl’s room.”

Sora gave her an odd look. She swung her legs out of bed, looking around.

Her swords were resting in easy distance against the wall. All of her stuff had been relocated into the room in the night, presumably about the same time she was. Even her clothes and shoes, which she had left discarded after finishing watch duty last night, had been brought into the room.

“Did you… did you carry me in here?” Sora asked incredulously, glancing at her hammock. It had been expertly knotted to the wall, a situation that had certainly been different when she went to bed.

“Uh-huh.” Luffi managed to untangle herself from her bed and got to her feet, her familiar straw hat flopping on her messy hair. “We thought you were going to wake up when we started to move you, but Choppa said you wouldn’t.”

Sora considered for a moment. Several possible responses were running through her head.

Eventually she just groaned and collapsed back into her hammock. “You know, you could have just _asked_. I would have moved.”

“The only good thing about this new arrangement was to do it without consulting you,” Sanae grumbled, putting her hairbrush away. She flicked one strand of hair out of her face, which seemed ridiculous considering her usual hairstyle, and started heading out the door. “Breakfast should be about twenty minutes.”

“Sanae, that’s way too long!” Luffi complained, running after her. “Isn’t there anything you can do to make it faster?”

“No! I wouldn’t demean cooking by rushing it!”

“So you _can_ do it!”

“Not happening, Luffi.”

“Fine. Can I at least have some of the meat before you cook it?”

Sanae almost certainly would have refused, but Choppa was already running after them before she got the chance. “No! You’ll get salmonella!”

Grinning, Usoppa turned to the green-haired girl. Her smile faded. “Are you okay with the room change?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Sora grumbled.

Usoppa’s smile returned. “Good.”

Then the long-nosed sniper ran out of the room, shouting. “Hey, wait for me! I don’t want to miss out on breakfast just because Luffi’s a human guzzling machine!”

“Hey!”

The boy’s voices joined the conversation as Namizo and Roben apparently left their room. Sora wondered absently what they thought of her absence, then decided that they probably knew before she did – Namizo would be in on any plot on this ship, and Roben still had the uncanny ability to know everything.

Smiling to herself, Sora got out of bed again. She pulled out a couple of simple clothes, her fingers brushing past the binders she had long since abandoned in the bottom of her drawers. She ran her brush quickly through her now shoulder-length hair, getting rid of the worst of the knots.

Then, whistling cheerfully, the female swordsman left the girl’s room, her three swords clinking together as she walked, heading off to join the rest of her crew in a mad rush for breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe a little cheesy, but I figured since Sora has spent the better part of this fic pretending to be a guy, we should finish on something that draws a parallel to how far she’s come.  
> It’s been a fun ride for me. I loved writing these subtle differences between male and female, and I absolutely loved getting all your comments and reviews. Thank you so much for all your support throughout this – it helped a lot. I hope you enjoyed this fic as much as I did.  
> Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> If you're binding, please, please, please don't follow Sora's example in using bandages. She doesn't know any better at the moment, and will be wearing a real binder by next chapter. Bandages are hugely damaging and can break ribs at best.


End file.
